Kyle Tucker decision day? Robert Murray joins FT + Clayton Kershaw and Alex Bregman join Team USA

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Godfather, We're gonna stop Eric from his dancing because you're gonna break some news to him right off the jump. Here, can you tell your friend Eric, who watches almost every Phillies game, what position Bryce Harper plays.

00:00:20
Speaker 2: He now plays first base, Eric.

00:00:22
Speaker 1: First base. Eric, he's not a catcher anymore. You were following him when he was a superstar kid in Las Vegas on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and he does not catch anymore. Todd, do you want the context of the story?

00:00:35
Speaker 3: I would love to hear the context, because anything that Eric says is usually gold gold.

00:00:43
Speaker 1: So we were talking about the Phillies and how Boba Schett could fit into the mix, and then how JT. Real Muto and potentially Alec Boone would fit in the mix. You'd probably trade bone blah blah blah. Right, So Kratz is laying out what the positional lineup would look like for the Phillies and he's like, yeah, and Bryce Harper at catch. The backstory, Bryce Harper did play catcher back in the day, so he was having fun with it. If you're watching the whole segment, and really, if you know Eric, you know how he's talking. If you cut that into this little tiktoky clip and then you put it online. Fans are like what. You have a subset of fans that are like, this doesn't know ball. Bryce Harper is a first base, not a catcher. Then you have a subset of fans who are a little smarter, who know the backstory that Bryce did catch when he was a kid, and so they're like, krat they're not going to move him to catcher. Bryce isn't going to catch now. They're not going to do that just to replace real Muto. And meanwhile, I'm like defending him on a couple of them. And then Kratz just jumps into one of the replies on Twitter and he was like, nah, I was not kidding. I want Bryce to catch. So he's just trolling everyone who's so stupid bubbled down.

00:01:51
Speaker 2: That's tough. That's tough.

00:01:52
Speaker 3: Krasty, know your stuff before you send stuff out. I'm with the fans. I would have been barking at him too, Okay.

00:01:57
Speaker 4: I don't I don't know. I don't know what I'm talking about. Do you see what my career batting averages? I know nothing about baseball? Every day, my favorite, my favorite is every day When I hear this guy talk, it's it's he knows less and less about baseball.

00:02:15
Speaker 5: What a buffoon.

00:02:16
Speaker 4: And I'm like, you listen to us every day, so happy, thank you?

00:02:21
Speaker 1: Yeah, Josh, of course, twenty years in pro ball, but he knows nothing.

00:02:27
Speaker 2: Do you know?

00:02:27
Speaker 4: Two nine hitter, two nine hitter, brutal than better than most, better than everybody in the world.

00:02:35
Speaker 1: How about two nine hitter yet managed to be a pro for twenty years?

00:02:40
Speaker 5: Brutal?

00:02:41
Speaker 4: I got pictures of people. It's either I got pictures of people steroids. Let's see what else can we clip? Oh, I'm Todd's friend. That's what happened twenty ten. When we became friends, I was out of the game. I was I was leaving the game. I just got called up to the big Lees. I was leaving the game. Became friends with Todd. All of a sudden. Every year somebody would call me to be like, hey, don't you worry about your game, right, I got it, don't worry about it. You're gonna get a job somewhere. We'll take care of you over here, all right. And I was like, who is this? And they were like, don't call me back next year. Same thing so I kept having a job. Thanks for your you and your people, Todd New Jersey for life.

00:03:23
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'll give you that one.

00:03:28
Speaker 1: Somebody clipped that I love that all right. Anyway, let's get into the news, Baba charging about We've been talking about it. This is Todd Father's first show of the week, so we'll get his thoughts too. What do you think about Kyle Tucker getting thrown a fifty million dollars a year offer. It sounds like it could go as high as four years, so it could be maybe four years, two hundred million. It probably includes opt outs. But it also does sound Todd Father like the Blue Jays have offered something very long term, could be seven, eight, nine, even ten years on the table for someone like Kyle Tucker. The easiest part of this before looking into who the teams are with the location. Is am I wrong to think that he's going to get way more guaranteed money from the Blue Jays long term offer than anything else? And so you take that or is there I guess more to life than money.

00:04:20
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was about to talk into my mind went right to what you said. Listen, if he's getting more years, yeah, I would assume he's going to get more money.

00:04:32
Speaker 2: But does he want options? You know?

00:04:33
Speaker 3: I mean, in my opinion, I feel like if the Blue Jays want him for six eight years whatever it is, they're gonna want to lock him down for that six eight years, no trade clause. All this other stuff without going to another team will finish his career out there? Do you want to go with the Mets with you know, some options here and there? I'm glad all this stuff is starting to come out, because you know, we we were just waiting for somebody to start talking some money here because we're January fifteenth.

00:05:00
Speaker 2: Man, Holy cow, we got a month and next thing you know, boom, we're goore.

00:05:05
Speaker 3: But man, if you can get four years for two hundred million with options, I mean cratzy fifty million a year, Holy cow. And you're playing down, You're playing in New York. You're playing for the Mets, understandably, a really good team that you know in some don't think are going to be pretty good. Do you want to go the or do you want to go to the Blue Jays knowing that you have a big opportunity not only to get to the playoffs.

00:05:31
Speaker 2: But you know, do some damage. It's up to him.

00:05:33
Speaker 3: If that's the case, you want longevity or you want you want the big bang right now and have to go back in the free agency and do this crap all over again.

00:05:42
Speaker 2: A lot to talk about within the family.

00:05:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, there's a big time decisions that I don't you don't ever have to make or ever had to make.

00:05:53
Speaker 5: But it's all relative.

00:05:55
Speaker 4: But if it really is, let's say, what what Scott said, fifty a year for four years now? Because we heard it was fifty a year now, could be the fourth year. Maybe it's a little less, Maybe it's like one ninety or something like that. If he were to become the third highest paid position player, I'm sorry, fourth highest behind behind Judge, Vladimir Guerrero and Mike Trout, he would get thirty four a year. And let's say the Blue Jays say we'll give it to you for eight years, little math, that's two hundred and seventy two million dollars. I feel like the Mets, if the two hundred million dollar range is where it's at. I feel like the Mets answered the question that I pose last week. How much is enough for a short term deal? Because I'm sorry, you ain't opting out of a You ain't opting out of a fifty million dollars a year contract that's gonna pay you for the next three years after this season if he has a career type of year, because you just like the numbers are getting close. The numbers are getting really close. If the number is two hundred million.

00:07:07
Speaker 1: Hey, make good eats at home part of your twenty twenty six New Year's resolution. Hello Fresh is what we're talking about here.

00:07:15
Speaker 6: Steaks, seafood, whatever options you want. They have stone fruit to corn on the cops. Got I know you're a big stone fruit fan.

00:07:21
Speaker 1: Hey, you've eaten it all I have.

00:07:23
Speaker 6: I've tried a lot of things, but Hello Fresh always delivers. They're fresh, delicious meals that you get to cook so you feel like you actually accomplish something when you eat them after you're done cooking.

00:07:34
Speaker 1: Over one hundred mouth watering recipes each week. It's made with wholesome ingredients like one hundred percent antibiotic and hormone free chicken. Because when dinner tastes this good, nothing hits like home cooking. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash ft ten FM to get ten free meals plus a freeze willing knife a one hundred and forty four ninety nine value on your third box offer valid while supplies last. Free meals applied as discount on first box new subscribers only. Varies by a plan Get America's number one meal kit, Hello Fresh, No, I disagree. What do you mean? So if he has the best year of his life, right, Let's say you take his year from two years ago and that was half a season, and then you play that out for a full season and he's like a ten win player. Okay, he does that, And then let's take the CBA situation and lock that out of the moment first dep right, and just say, hey, he's got another normal off season coming up. You think he would keep his deal for another year. His stock would be even higher. And we don't know what the rest of the market looks like. But the whole heer, the whole point of doing this from a financial standpoint is that let's say the Blue Jays are offering fifteen plus less per year. Let's say it's even twenty. Just for the case of the exercise. Let's say the Mets are offering fifty year. Blue Jays are offering thirty a year. Okay, Mets are offering four years, two hundred million fifty a year. Blue Jays just again, don't hold us to this crowd. We're just playing easy math here. Yeah, thirty million a year from the Blue Jays over ten years, three hundred million dollars. The guaranteed money is significantly higher, but you're going to be committed to a much longer term contract and you could play out this one season, make twenty million dollars more and then hit free agency again. So Todd father, I give you both of those contracts. Okay, and you're Kyle Tucker, which one do you want? You want to do? Because if you're looking at it that way, you're essentially looking at it as hey, this is a one year contract. I'm Alex Bregman, I'm pee a Lonzo, I'm everybody else that has done this game, and I'm going to take less guaranteed committed dollars because usually the players are going for the most guarantee. But is there a line? I think this is what Kratz is getting at where you go there's such a difference in average annual value, right the number I'm getting paid for next year, and I'm down to play my hand one more time in free agency and make that three hundred long term offer a four hundred plus. I added a fifty million dollars in that one season where I was in limbo.

00:10:06
Speaker 3: I might be biased towards this because I've been in free agency three different times and my biggest issue is going back to free agency the unknown you know, oh, well we heard from this team they might want you. Well, this team just said if they don't get this guy, they're coming for you. Like the unknown part really bothered me, and that, you know, and that's like an any job I think would bother everybody, Like you know, if you work in corporate somewhere and they're saying, we might send you to Denver or Chicago, Like, there's certain different things. I don't want to go back to free agency anytime soon. That's just my feeling. If I could have signed a free agent deal for five, six seven years, which didn't happen, which was unlikely, but if I had an opportunity to, I probably would take that longevity.

00:10:47
Speaker 2: Knowing I am set.

00:10:48
Speaker 3: For life, I am with an organization that really wants me. I like it here hopefully, But even if you don't like it there you're still making a lot of money and you still got to go perform. So for me, I don't want to go back in free agency ever again, knowing what I can get right now, and I hear what you're saying, Scott, go back and you can make even more. There's no Givens man, There is no Givens in this world year by year basis.

00:11:12
Speaker 1: And he's had injuries back to back seasons, which we've talked about is part of the reason why he's probably being dinged a little bit during the free agent process. Krats. I'll bring up one more point from Fair Territory, which was live right before our show and is a good listener watch. After our show with Ken Rosenthal and Alana Rizzo. Ken was just talking about like the rumors around Kyle Tucker and his personality. Ken's covered him, I've covered him. Most of us know Kyle Tucker at this point. He's been in the league for a while. He's definitely not boisterous. He is more low key, nonchalant. The whole deal right, there is this thought process that he might not want to play forever. It's not like Anthony Rendon status. But I think what they were getting at on that show. Was a ten year deal means you are committed to playing ball through what thirty eight years old. Not every player will want to do that. You know, Kyle Tucker might be like, Yo, I'm going to give hm my all for another five or six and then I'm good. I mean, if you sign a ten year contract, you need to fulfill the contract. You're playing for ten years in Toronto, right So there is a chance it's not high, but there is a chance that he looks at that and says me, I don't want to play ten years. And if the Blue Jays are like, hey, we're trying to keep the average annual value down because we want you to play with the most talented players possible, and we get destroyed on luxury tax numbers, which is a soft salary cap which we always talk about. So just floating that out there, if you think there's any chance that there's a player who's not Anthony Rendo in status where he doesn't want to play baseball at all, but doesn't necessarily want to play for ten years with one spot right.

00:12:48
Speaker 4: Now, Listen, I get it. Probably Kyle Tucker has no social media. He's probably not even looking at a lot of this stuff. But his agent is his agent gets five percent of this contract. If that were not the case, if the like, you know, excitement about a ten year deal, if there was you know, hey, I'm not nonchalant. I'm more like this, this would have been the time where they're like, hey, you know what, we're gonna get ahead of this. We're going to do these things. When the media portrays somebody a certain way and they don't really buck up against that or nobody else speaks out against that, that's probably how it is.

00:13:28
Speaker 5: And you know what, if he.

00:13:30
Speaker 4: Doesn't want a ten year deal, totally good with that. But I don't think he's going to get in the range of like eight years, forty million, like where they would you know, meet in the middle kind of thing. Maybe his best bet, and it would he would have to understand his comfort level, his family's comfort level, everything about what it means to play in New York. I'm not saying the media is going to just crush you because he doesn't say much, but there's there's a there's a lot of obligations to the stars in New York, whether it's a Mets or the Yankees, and I think it's a really really fun case for us because we just get to watch it and sit back and see what exactly, you know, what actually transpires. But he has to go through it every single day and wherever he chooses. People don't understand, like the length of a season is a grind. And then when you sit there and go, I gotta be up here for ten years. I got to do this. I've heard it. I've heard future Hall of famers say, and I'm so glad I don't have three more years, five more years on my contract. And these were guys that were still playing really well. Because it's it's a lot, it's more than people think.

00:14:45
Speaker 1: Also, some guys lose it at a certain age, and you don't know when that is going to be. But most players are not good at thirty eight. It's just how it is these days. Most players are not good at thirty eight years old. There was a steroid era where guys were extending there careers a lot, and then of course there are plenty of outliers that still play at you know, whatever age, like Aeric Kratz, Yes, Eric Kratz playing at what age? Did you retire?

00:15:12
Speaker 5: Forty forty?

00:15:13
Speaker 4: Best youar ever one of the top five Yankees batting averages of all time career. But that's okay, Todd, don't worry about it.

00:15:21
Speaker 1: Imagine if you're Kyle Talker and you've been great every year, You've been like a superstar, and then all of a sudden, you hit thirty five and you're not good, and you still have three four years left on your contract. It's tough living. I mean, we kind of saw that with the DJ le Mayhew just now. I mean, injuries biting you too. That happens. So it just a lot to think about. And yeah, last point, and then I want to get to the report.

00:15:42
Speaker 4: I was just going to say, is he a superstar? We had this argument before and now we're talking about superstar money, Todd, is he a superstar? There's a difference between a superstar, all star, sometimes all star.

00:15:58
Speaker 5: And then regulars. I think he's a star, not a superstar.

00:16:04
Speaker 2: No. I think I think he's really really good, really good baseball.

00:16:07
Speaker 1: Player, superstar, and his personality sometimes skews people from thinking that he's a superstar. But I think his productivity on the field is superstar quality. I do it depends how many superstars you have on your list. But anyway, something to think about.

00:16:23
Speaker 3: Let's get my superstar list is a handful of people, I know. Yeah, and you're saying, you're saying Kyle Tucker is in that tight group for you, Scott.

00:16:34
Speaker 1: My superstar list isn't as tight as yours.

00:16:37
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm saying that my.

00:16:38
Speaker 1: Like your your superstar list might be what ten, and mine might be more like maybe, right, Okay, mine's larger than that. Mine's probably like I'm looking at the top fifteen position players in the top tennis pitchers something like that. Right, take that's a much larger list.

00:16:52
Speaker 2: Takers, picture pictures out of it. I was just thinking hitters wise in mind.

00:16:56
Speaker 1: Okay for hitters though, still like you might have seven and I might have fifteen, and that's a big difference. So I think he's afteen player in the sport, all.

00:17:04
Speaker 3: Right, I'm saying, right, hold on, I want I want to get this the fifteen in the sport or as a.

00:17:09
Speaker 1: Hitter, I have fifteen position players. Probably I haven't done this. I'm just roughly estimating I probably have fifteen position players as superstars, and some people might only have five to seven, and you probably have a smaller.

00:17:21
Speaker 3: List, right, Yeah, I just wanted to make sure people understood like what your answer was to as well, that's all not trying to come back and fight you with it.

00:17:29
Speaker 2: I just wanted to hear exactly that's all.

00:17:31
Speaker 5: Yeah, fighting Todd did it?

00:17:45
Speaker 1: Fan Sided insider FT insider Robert Murray with us on a busy day, Kyle Tucker news maybe coming today? What do you think, Robert.

00:17:53
Speaker 7: H First of all, I love the intro at Cooper in there, so I got to give you guys your shoutout for that. But I definitely do think that today might be the day for the Kyle Tucker resolution. And honestly, it's anyone's guessing where he's going, but we're definitely we're close to a resolution here. Okay, yeah, why why just the signs continue to point to a decision being made. Uh, there is silence from a lot of folks involved, but anyone who is anyone who I've talked to, expects it to be soon and quite possibly today. That's the indications that I've gotten.

00:18:32
Speaker 2: Well does that mean.

00:18:34
Speaker 4: Sorry, sorry, we're we're we're so excited about the Today news there that we're like, okay, we I want to get to the bottom of it. Does that mean, in a situation like this, is there a chance that there's some back and forth still or is it offers are out now it's Kyle's turn to make the decision. No more, no more back and forth? Is that where we've gotten to most likely?

00:18:58
Speaker 7: Yeah, I don't know exactly where the current state of talks are, but I think you can make the case for both. Is like, we're obviously pretty deep into the offseason here, we're less than a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting. But also too, like he still hasn't signed yet, and you have three teams. You have the Mets, you have the Dodgers, and the Blue Jays all involved in this. He has not signed yet. So if you're a team and you want to convince him to come to your city, come to your team, maybe make a last second move where all of a sudden it's like, Okay, we really want you. Here's an extra ten million, here's an extra whatever incentive, whatever it takes to get him. So I can see both being the case, But I don't know for sure what point we're at quite yet.

00:19:40
Speaker 2: With that, you said the Mets, Dodgers, blue Jays.

00:19:44
Speaker 3: Can you see another team that nobody's talking about right now, kind of swoop in there, or these are the final three in your opinion, You.

00:19:51
Speaker 7: Know, that's something that I've been asking around about because usually at this point of the offseason or even before this, we hear about a mystery team being involved, and we haven't heard that yet this. In my indications, I think it's those three teams that are in it at this point, and you can make the case for any one of those teams, Like you look at the Mets. I reported the other day that their offer was for fifty million a year short term deal, and then you heard Mike Puma of The Post mentioned that it's a four year offer. So if you combine those two reports, four for two hundred, that looks pretty pretty darn good. And I mean, I know it's for me, that'd be pretty tough to turn down. I can't lie about that. But then you have the Blue Jays who are reportedly offering a long term deal, and I don't necessarily know the specifics of that. But like one thing that I've I've mentioned a lot of my podcast, The Baseball Insiders, and I'll mention it here too, is you hear people be like, why why would Toronto be a destination You hear people kind of criticize Toronto. It's a great place to play, man. You have an unbelievable city, you have that entire fan base and entire country behind you, and it's like a super desirable place to play, and you're also going to having a chance of winning a World Series. So to me, that's incredibly enticing and incredibly intriguing. And I think the Blue Jays are absolutely a serious player here. And then you have the Dodgers, where we haven't heard much there whatsoever as far as reports go, which you wonder what exactly that could mean. But I think all three of these teams are a threat. And as I said before, I think a resolution is around the corner.

00:21:24
Speaker 8: But maybe it's today.

00:21:25
Speaker 7: Maybe I think it might be today, But it's up to Kyle Tucker, so only he knows at this point.

00:21:33
Speaker 5: So we should have had Kyle Tucker on and not Robert Murray. I get it. I got it. That's totally fine. I got it. Boy.

00:21:39
Speaker 8: I wish the wouldn't that be something?

00:21:41
Speaker 4: Yeah, that would be that would be how we could break the news. But one thing I brought up before, and maybe it's not something that you've even experienced or seen. But should Kyle Tucker be out there trying to kick against the narrative that he's non shalant laid back if it wasn't true, and so if it, if he's not kicking back against it, then it's probably true. And at some point we'll have to figure out how much money that cost him. That like kind of just his his aura of just being like, eh, you know what, bro, I got this.

00:22:20
Speaker 7: No, Like, he's definitely a chill guy. I've spent some time around him. He's a chill guy. He's very relaxed, very reserved. But I don't know if i'd necessarily interpret that as someone who doesn't love baseball or I don't know. I've seen the different reports there. I don't necessarily know what I think of those. I know if it was me that I would probably fight back against those. But that being said, he's his own guy, and I don't know. He's still getting to make it a whole lot of money here, whether it's fifty million from the Mets or whatever. He's ended up getting offer from the Dodters in Blue Jays. So did it cost him money? I don't know, But that being said, like he's one of the most talented players baseball. I heard your guys' debate before I hopped on. I absolutely I think I would put him in a superstar category. I just heard Todd mention the star category. Either way, you can't go you can't go wrong. So he'll get he'll get his due. I have no doubts about that.

00:23:15
Speaker 4: We gotta have a whole We gonna have a whole breakdown of Robert superstars, Todd superstars. I think I think it's fun. It's like aces and number ones. It's that whole debate.

00:23:25
Speaker 8: No, it's maybe maybe that's for the next show. How about that? Should we have an entire show just breaking that entire thing.

00:23:31
Speaker 5: Done once Manfred?

00:23:32
Speaker 4: Once Manfred sets a trade deadline, then we have nothing else, or a signing deadline, then we have nothing else to chat about, because it would just be one day no one else can sign and we'd be like, all right, Robert, what's your favorite ice cream?

00:23:45
Speaker 5: All that stuff, but.

00:23:46
Speaker 7: Chocolate chip cookie though, by the way.

00:23:52
Speaker 1: All right, so now we'll kick this around. It was breaking news right as the show started. Clayton Kershaw is going to be a part of Team USA. We just spoke to Mason Miller about it, and he's excited to have him as part of the crew. Remember, there's a backstory here. There was insurance complications last time around, which usually to me Kratz just means that there was too much money to pay for Kershaw based on the mileage and whatever injuries that he was having, because you have to pay insurance fees here for the players. I believe the way it works is that the league covers that because the league is the one that's cashing out hardcore on this, and so they're able to cover the insurance rates. But maybe they were at an impasse, you know, just throwing it out there. It's like maybe most of the players cost X and they were like, we're going to charge you double or triple because we don't love the medicals. He's had injuries, he's late career, blah blah blah. Right, So anyway, that held him back last time around. This time, he doesn't have to worry about that. He's not pitching again in the major leagues. He already retired, so you don't need the insurance policy like you did, and he can join the team. I will read a recent tweet that came out like second to go Alden Gonzalez saying it's his final act for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, a tournament that he was denied participating in three years ago. He will be pitching. This is the key, probably only in an emergency. Isn't that kind of how it was for him? This past postseason? He made one appearance, right from what I remember, it was the one appearance which was important, no doubt in the marathon important.

00:25:30
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, he ate innings. I think the rosa's smart. But it's also like, let's not prop the brakes. This is gonna do. That's gonna come out and say, yeah, I'm ready to pitch, and he's gonna be eighty two. Clayton Kershall is gonna be the exact same guy he was the last entirety of his career, and he's gonna give you quality innings whenever that is. And you don't have to throw a Mason Miller who is on a strict pitch county, strict usage limit. And this is an advantage for the team if they get a huge lead, or god forbid, if they fall behind big, they need somebody to be able to eat these innings. That say, okay, we're not using you. We can't use you on back to back days. And I mean in twenty three, So basically in twenty three he was making twenty million dollars. That insurance policy is going to be quite large. Three years before that, he was making thirty one million dollars, three years before that, he was making thirty four million dollars. And with the injury history, Yeah, I get it. I get that that's tough. And I don't one hundred percent know that Major League Baseball's covering it. The only reason I say that is because I thought part of it was based on each each corporation, each coalition, the team USA, team Canada. You know where they're they're covering. Do they get stipen from Major League Baseball? I'm not one hundred percent sure on that.

00:27:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, and we'll see.

00:27:02
Speaker 3: I mean, you talk about an emergency situation shouldn't be all hands on deck, So I don't know.

00:27:09
Speaker 2: I hope that's not the case. You know, because you might.

00:27:12
Speaker 3: You're gonna need him to pitch eventually, you know, say a guy goes down, or you know there's a there's a game where they need a lefty to come in so I hope the USA is picking accordingly and it you know, I just hope that you know, if he's on the team, they're gonna play.

00:27:27
Speaker 4: You know.

00:27:27
Speaker 3: I know there's some position players that don't play sometimes, but they're gonna need every pitcher they can get, and that's definite in these in these World Baseball Classics, for sure.

00:27:37
Speaker 1: I don't want to say like last man on the bench, but it is kind of like that, or it appears that way. Do you guys know what I'm saying where it's like, hey, he's more of the emergency guy we're gonna see and maybe I'm wrong, right, We also don't know how he's going to feel. I mean, Clinton Kershew is not preparing for a full season. He's preparing for a World Baseball Classic. That's a little bit different. Right. He can go in there and just feel really good and can't and then blow it out for a few outings. He could, right if he feels like the arm's good. No, you don't think Sokratz, right, No, he doesn't have to do the same arm maintenance that you would have to do for a full season.

00:28:11
Speaker 4: I just think I have a hard time believing he's gonna lie and be like, no, I got this and not be good like he had a three er last year. Like he's gonna go out and get outs. Are you starting him in the finals against Japan.

00:28:27
Speaker 5: No?

00:28:28
Speaker 4: No, But like he's gonna go out and get outs, he's going to be a productive piece of this team. As a guy who was at the end of his career asked to play for, I was asked to play for the eventual silver medal winning Olympic team. I knew there was a lot that you have to do to prepare to go into that. Yes, and you couldn't as much as they said, it's your team, you can be on. It doesn't matter.

00:28:55
Speaker 5: What you do.

00:28:56
Speaker 4: I would not have done that to my teammates, to Team USA, to anybody and said all right, I'm rolling out of bed on on July third and I'm joining the team. No chance. That would have been disingenuous to the guys who you're trying to accomplish something and win a gold medal.

00:29:15
Speaker 2: Agreed, this is this is serious stuff, man.

00:29:18
Speaker 3: I help people want putting the USA on and representing your country, even if it's a World Baseball Classic. Kratzy and I played for. I played for three different USA teams. I'm sure he played for three plus maybe a bunch more. But when you put that on, man, there's a different there's a different sound, it's a different feeling, it's a different vibe. When you come off that bus representing your country and everybody knows USA is coming in town. I promise you you're gonna get the best of the best coming after you, and they want to beat you, whether it's a pool play game, a championship game, or a World you know, a gold medal match, if they can, if they smell blood, they're gonna freaking find a way.

00:29:58
Speaker 2: And it's intense.

00:30:00
Speaker 3: And I remember the first time playing in Port Saint Lucie in the trials to get to Tokyo for the you know, for the Olympics, and we're playing Nicaragua and they went up one nothing.

00:30:11
Speaker 2: It was unmatched. It was unbelievable because we're playing in Florida and seventy eighty percent of cheering against you. It was crazy. These people came out of the woodwork.

00:30:20
Speaker 3: So Kratzy knows the feeling we all do down in Miami.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: It's gonna be a different vibe.

00:30:26
Speaker 3: We know we got different cultures down there, and it's gonna be so cool.

00:30:31
Speaker 1: What if he feels too good? What if what if it's coming out of the arm real nice? He's like, you know what, I didn't throw it all this offseason, and that's actually no Beer League, Beer League right where. He's like, I didn't touch a baseball until just now, and now it feels really good.

00:30:51
Speaker 4: Fucking Scott, And I'm sure I'm sure Todd can can definitely agree with me on this, on this thing. Your wife is already in there making your plans. That summer is filled up. Clayton, summer is filled up. Ain't no way he's he's going and saying, I played that long? Can I get one more? I know we're supposed to do this with the kids. We're supposed to go to the mall D's, we're supposed to go to Greece. We're supposed to go to Grandma's for July fourth. I might miss it.

00:31:23
Speaker 5: Nope, Nope, Clayton.

00:31:25
Speaker 4: Unless Clayton says, now I'm feeling it now. No, I don't know, don't don't do it. He already said it. She's she's gonna be like, time to be home, Clayton.

00:31:37
Speaker 1: We'll see, or if he says, did you see what David Robertson did? Honey? He actually enjoyed half of a baseball season at home. We got some summer activities, picnics outside, and then he.

00:31:53
Speaker 3: Must be throwing if they need him for an inning, and he like hits like ninety five.

00:32:01
Speaker 2: Worried like hay, now I'll need that.

00:32:04
Speaker 5: I want to see it.

00:32:05
Speaker 4: I want to see it anytime Scott like sits a certain way, it looks like I got hair.

00:32:11
Speaker 5: When it goes up to the screen, yeah.

00:32:14
Speaker 3: Oh, take your hat off real quick. Don't show it's the team. Don't move right there.

00:32:23
Speaker 5: Oh my shot?

00:32:28
Speaker 1: Screenshot it? Hold on.

00:32:32
Speaker 2: They did?

00:32:32
Speaker 5: Or me, yes, somebody will. There's a reason I don't have hair.

00:32:41
Speaker 4: If I had hair, Oh my gosh, the arrogance that would be coming out of this mouth if I had hair unbelievable.

00:32:47
Speaker 5: I'm telling you. If I had hair like you, Todd or Scott.

00:32:51
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, it's a great photo.

00:32:53
Speaker 2: You're gross.

00:32:55
Speaker 1: Wow, it's really good. This, by the way, is a nice shirt. It's called the Friar Territory og logo shirt right here at Friar Territory shop dot com. And if you want hair for one of your friends, you can do the same thing. I wore it today because Mason Miller was on the show. Anyway, next part of the conversation, as we get back to BIZ, Alec Bregman is going to be a part of the World Baseball Classic four Team USA. Bregman did not participate last go around. This time, he's like, yeah, I'm playing, signed up long term. Let's do this right now. You get to live out all of your dreams. So Bregman's back. Guess what Team USA starts to play in Houston, Texas in front of probably quite a few Astros fans. So this is going to be a blast. I mean, look at life for Alex right now. He gets to have fun with Boston. Then he gets to spurn Boston and be like, you didn't pay enough, no respect for me. Bye, I'm going to the Cubs. And then he gets to play WBC go back to Houston and be like, here's what you're missing. This is a fun little stretch of time.

00:34:01
Speaker 2: Definitely is.

00:34:02
Speaker 3: He's in the driver's seat here, a couple of different contracts.

00:34:06
Speaker 2: He's loving life.

00:34:06
Speaker 3: Going back to Houston to kind of finish out what he started there.

00:34:11
Speaker 2: I guess you could say.

00:34:12
Speaker 3: And I'm sure he's gonna play there again, because everybody plays everybody in Major League Baseball now, So I think it's pretty cool. It'd be a nice little homecoming for him, and hopefully he can represents starting to become a really nice looking team for USA.

00:34:27
Speaker 4: I think it's I think it's fun too, because he's been on the sixteen you team, the eighteen YOU team, the college team, and he's already played WBC. But I mean, my guy's a Team USA fixture. They might be, depending on how they do they win this thing. I'm sure he's got some victories under his belts other years when he was doing it. I don't know, maybe maybe one of the best Team USA players of all time. He's no Ben Sheets.

00:34:54
Speaker 5: I get it. Ben Sheets won the gold medal. You know you're you're locked in when you win the gold medal.

00:34:59
Speaker 4: But I don't know huspragmants putting together a nice little Team USA.

00:35:06
Speaker 5: Resume.

00:35:07
Speaker 1: Yeah, twenty eight though, he'll still be in the bigs. He'll still be kicking, He'll still be.

00:35:12
Speaker 4: I mean, like he's got another one that he can play. But right, wow, it just it just amped it up. I mean, we can't. We can't not have it on there. Come on, come on, uncle Bob.

00:35:29
Speaker 1: We gotta I think Uncle Bob's gonna improve it.

00:35:33
Speaker 5: I do.

00:35:34
Speaker 4: I do that you're making you're making their money.

00:35:38
Speaker 5: You're making their money in WBC.

00:35:40
Speaker 4: That's why I was told from people on the inside that the reason they never allowed it before, even like entertain the thought was because not because of the season change or what that would have meant. It was because of the fact that they wanted to make sure their product, which is WB, the WBC was making the cash was definitely the premier event because baseball is not always in the Olympics. It's only in the Olympics when it's when it's held in cities or countries that won it in the Olympics. Baseball and softball are I forget what they're called preliminary events where they have like they have to choose to have it in And obviously when it was in Japan, baseball is a big sport. When it was in you know when it's going to be in La Baseball is a big sport. But it's one of those things that it is. It was huge that they came up with the WBC, but it also took players away from probably at this point we should have had all big league players in the Olympics.

00:36:40
Speaker 5: But yeah, thanks for that.

00:36:43
Speaker 4: You get other opportunities, and because Japan loves to put their big leaguers in there, So just saying, just saying, we got to keep.

00:36:50
Speaker 1: Up, yeah, and I think they will. That decision should come at some point, maybe over the next year, to find out if MLB is going to be participating with their players in the twenty twenty eight Olympics. Bo Bet MGM Futures regular season wins, Phillies ninety and a half over under. We got a lot of these lately, a lot of these just in that like ninety ish range. I know where I'm going.

00:37:24
Speaker 3: I'm stuck on this one because they they still got a couple moves to make. It's so hard. I can easily see them going over ninety wins. I can easily see them doing it. I don't know this one here I would say, I would say, I would say.

00:37:39
Speaker 2: Over, but not by many right now I would I'm with you.

00:37:44
Speaker 1: I think this one's kind of easy. This is one that I really like. I think the Phillies are more like a ninety five win team. I mean, Kratz gives me shit sometimes because I call them a regular season team. But I've been right about that the last couple of years. Still is the case. Really strong starting staff, really stable superstars. The bullpen looks nice. There should be more on the way too, in terms of the young position players actually and pitchers Andrew Paynter, Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford to supplement what they already have. There's still moves to be made. I like this one, Kratz. I would be shocked if you told me that the Phillies only won like eighty eight games.

00:38:21
Speaker 4: I mean, I think it's like we had yesterday. I do like the Braves at eighty seven and a half the over the eighty seven and a half. I thought, I thought both these teams are a plus ninety win team. I think the division is going to allow them to be. I think the Phillies have historically struggled the last few years against the Mets. But if the Mets don't make any moves here the rest of the all seasons, like where are they actually going to be? The Nats aren't trying in the sense of like building a stronger team they're developing. You know, they brought in all their college coaches, and then the Marlins are going to be a good pitching team. That if they keep some of their pitching, which shows that they're getting rid of a lot of their pitching. So to me, I think the Braves and the Phillies are plus ninety one. I mean, I would have had a tough time with his number if it was like ninety two. But I like the over on both them, and the Braves love it.

00:39:20
Speaker 1: Hey, let's remind everyone where they can find us coming up in person. Actually, in first off, you can hang out with Krats online. He's got another bet MGM online poker tournament coming soon, jumping into a Little Poker Spade Online Championship. That stuff kicks off January eighteenth and run through feb one, so Krats will be playing. We might get a few of us involved online. Look out for Krats and see how you stack up against. Bruce Banner is the user name for Krats. If you want to throw moochi's at him while you're playing against him, if you want to play poker against us in person, yeah it does, but he gets you more serious in person, where Todd Father returns to Redsveat on Saturday to try and win a title again. And then on Suday it's Todd, father, Danny Graves, and myself doing a little Q and A. Fans that are there get to ask questions. There's hard hitters to Todd and Danny. Twelve o'clock Eastern time is when? Or actually is it Central time that we're out there?

00:40:22
Speaker 2: Is Cincinnati Eastern Eastern?

00:40:25
Speaker 1: My bad? So yeah, it is Eastern time. Twelve o'clock Eastern time, Sunday, January eighteenth, go hang out with us at Tom's Watch Bar at the Banks that's right next to the ballpark. And then the day before that will be in that open tournament. It starts at three o'clock local time, East Coast time on Saturday, so we'll be flying out tomorrow