Happy New Year! Your "Elite" 2026 Phillies questions

00:00:03
Speaker 1: Hi, this is Jace Olmuto. Welcome to the Philly Show.

00:00:08
Speaker 2: Rubin Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, Todd's a lucky It's a Philly Show. Happy New Year, everybody. It is Thursday, January first, twenty twenty six. Guys, we've made it to year three. Wow, this show we started in March of twenty twenty four.

00:00:25
Speaker 3: Here we are.

00:00:26
Speaker 2: Happy new Year to you guys, Happy new year to everybody who's watching us and listening to us.

00:00:33
Speaker 4: Congratulations Todd, you're the one who put this thing together.

00:00:36
Speaker 5: Baby, you did it.

00:00:38
Speaker 3: We all we all got together.

00:00:40
Speaker 4: Na Na, No, you are the impetus behind it. You're the mastermind.

00:00:46
Speaker 3: We're the three amigos.

00:00:48
Speaker 2: I'm the Martin short of course, Ruben you're the Chevy Chase, and Jim you're the Steve Martin.

00:00:55
Speaker 3: Of the group. Well, excuse me, There we go, There we go.

00:01:03
Speaker 2: So we asked so we're gonna kick off twenty twenty six by we're kicking off twenty twenty six by asking you guys, or we asked you guys the other day to send us your questions about the Phillies, of course, and let's jump right into it. A question from Facebook This is from Christopher Jenesco. He says Bryce is getting some attention. Bryce, Bryce Harper got attention for his not elite T shirt. Is this Bryce trying to find some motivation or is he really holding a grudge. If you're watching us on YouTube, of course, you can see the image the screen grab of Harper. He posted it on TikTok the other a little VP session and if you zoom in real close, that long.

00:01:48
Speaker 3: Sleeve black T shirt says not elite, of.

00:01:51
Speaker 2: Course, referring to the comments that Dave Dombrowski made a week after the NLDS wondering is elite?

00:02:01
Speaker 1: I don't know.

00:02:02
Speaker 2: I guess we'll find out he didn't have an elite season. Hey baby, they've talked. They've talked.

00:02:10
Speaker 4: You know, I thought it's interesting.

00:02:13
Speaker 5: I thought this might go away once they actually chatted.

00:02:16
Speaker 4: And this is, you know, something that you would think, you know much to do about.

00:02:20
Speaker 5: Nothing nothing to see here, nothing to see here.

00:02:22
Speaker 4: But the fact that he threw that shirt on. I'm not sure whether he's trolling, whether he's trying to get a little attention, whether he's trying to motivate himself.

00:02:33
Speaker 5: But it also sort of revives the whole discussion. I mean, I can't wait for, you know.

00:02:38
Speaker 4: His first press conference in spring training when he's like, oh, that didn't mean amy or whatever. I mean, it's just very very strange for him to have brought it up. I'm not sure what the motivation. Maybe he's just trolling, being a funny guy who knows, but it sort of spikes and strikes up, you know, more food for fodder, especially for the media folk, and you know, for people who are sort of wondering, what's this all about.

00:03:09
Speaker 5: Is he still really upset? Is he not upset?

00:03:12
Speaker 4: Is he gonna use this to motivate himself. Is he sending a message back to Dave Dombrowski.

00:03:19
Speaker 5: I don't know.

00:03:21
Speaker 4: But there's a couple of things that at hand here that you know, you thought might go away by the time you rolled into spring training, but apparently it did not. Because I know the questions are gonna come out, and guys like you, you writers.

00:03:36
Speaker 5: You're gonna be asking that question immediately, right, Jim.

00:03:41
Speaker 1: Rubin, don't separate yourself from us. You are a card carrying member of the media.

00:03:45
Speaker 5: Now I'm on the other side, I'm on the dark side.

00:03:48
Speaker 3: You have the dark side baby, you've you're.

00:03:52
Speaker 1: Over there now. But you know, I think you articulated it well. I have all the same feelings. At first, I thought it was kind of funny. Then I said it's kind antagonistic. Then I was like, I thought this went away and he's now picking the scab off and it's gonna be talking about it. Hey, he's the showman. That's his nickname, that's his m O. And there's some showman to this. If he had done it like two weeks earlier, the entrepreneurs would have been printing that shirt up and it would have been under every Christmas tree, including maybe mine. But you know, the question was is he doing this for motivation or is he holding a grudge? I would say a little bit of both. Maybe grudge is too strong in a word. But I do think he's poking back. I mean, he said he's told Gelby he was hurt by those comments. He's poking back. He's you know, making it known. It's in the back of his mind. If he channels it the right way, and I think he will. I think he's smart enough to channel it the right way. I think it could be great motivation Because Bryce, I like Bryce Harper with a little sneer, with a little edge, with a little ticked off. I like that as long as he's not overswinging. But we you know, this little edge, he might be like top three of the MVP next year and then he can, you know, put the shirt back on it.

00:05:19
Speaker 3: It'll say elap so here.

00:05:22
Speaker 5: So let me just make one another comment. That's a great point. Great, that's a great point, jim I love it.

00:05:28
Speaker 4: But you know, I strike back, and I just had a nice conversation with my one of my mentors, Pat Gillick, were recently, and I strike back to the thought process when Pat Gillick said, after that, I think of the two thousand and six season, either two thousand and five or two thousand and six season, he said, we're really not that good. I mean he basically challenged the team and said, you know, we're kind of quite a ways away. And I think that that sort of pissed off some of the some of.

00:05:57
Speaker 5: The core players.

00:05:58
Speaker 4: Jimmy admitted it, and and it made them and right, and it made them.

00:06:03
Speaker 5: Sort of motivated him a little bit.

00:06:05
Speaker 4: Maybe Dave Dombrowski's brilliant in his in his messaging.

00:06:11
Speaker 5: I don't know.

00:06:12
Speaker 4: I don't know that he had that, no way, I'm not sure if he had that as part of his you know, I think he was just being honest, honestly. I think he was just answering a question. Honestly, I don't think it was a messaging thing. But you're right, Jim, whatever it takes to motivate a player, or your players or your employees, then if it works, then it's brilliant and hopefully, and I would think I agree with you, Harper's going to take it in a positive way and show the world that he's one of the best players in the world.

00:06:44
Speaker 1: Again, look when he did to Arcia, when he got pissed off at Arcia hits two bombs that night. I mean, guys, you know, I hear him get heckled in the on deck circle and he hits a two hopper off the you know, in the gap. You know, I do think I think he knows how to use this stuff the right way. And I don't think it was premeditated on Dave's part. And I thought we were done talking about this obviously, But I don't think Dave is that cunning. I think he's really kind of you know, buy the book buttoned up. I don't think that's his style, but I do think he was just being honest and his where Dave kind of followed off a little bit. He didn't point out that Harper had been hurt, missed a month and played through some stuff. I think if you're going to offer like a you know, comprehensive critique, that has to be pointed out. But nonetheless, I'm a little bit entertained by this and very very curious to see where it goes and how it impacts his twenty six season.

00:07:43
Speaker 5: What are your thoughts on the top.

00:07:44
Speaker 2: Well, you know, I just thought the first reaction was I laughed when I saw it.

00:07:48
Speaker 3: I said, oh my god, this is brilliant. I loved it. I loved it.

00:07:53
Speaker 2: You know, to see Bryce Harper react that way and listen, don't anybody think that video posted on TikTok, this thing blew up. He said, Oh my god, I can't believe I wore my not elite T shirt.

00:08:05
Speaker 5: You know, you know what I mean.

00:08:08
Speaker 2: Bryce is very he knows what's on. Yeah, he knows that message. That was very purposeful. That was that was a great message on his part. I think, you know, you guys hit on it very well. But I think it's a combination of h he's a little ticked off, maybe it's still a little hurt. He's using this as motivation. I think he thinks the T shirt was a little funny. Maybe he kind of chuckles when he put it on and said, I'm going to wear this and see how people react.

00:08:37
Speaker 3: I think it's all of those things.

00:08:39
Speaker 2: And I do think going back to October that Dave Dave was just being honest, you know, and and talking to other people and and and about Dave. And I don't think he went in there going like I'm going into it.

00:08:49
Speaker 3: I hope if someone.

00:08:50
Speaker 2: Asked me about Bryce because I'm gonna light him up, I'm gonna light him up.

00:08:53
Speaker 3: I don't think that was it.

00:08:55
Speaker 2: I think he was asked a question by mac Elbin and he was just being honest about it.

00:09:00
Speaker 3: They talked, they hashed it out.

00:09:02
Speaker 2: I don't know if if he is Bryce is angry at Dave Dombrowski. I think he's just using it as as motivation. I mean, we'll find out, I guess on February twelfth, whenever Bryce gets there and say, hey.

00:09:16
Speaker 3: What's your relationship leg with Dave and we'll see what his tone is.

00:09:22
Speaker 2: I can't wait to see how he responds to what There have been times where we've asked him about certain stuff and he goes, come on, you guys know I remember once he shaved.

00:09:31
Speaker 3: I think he shaved his head or his all of his facial hair. In San Diego.

00:09:34
Speaker 2: He's in a bad slump and we asked him, Hey, what's with the facial hair? Goes, come on, you guys aren't stupid. You know why I did this? And then he just left that. I was like, okay, he's clearly trying to change his luck the RCA thing. He's like, yeah, yeah, of course, yeah, you know why I stared him down. So it will be kind of fun to see again. February twelfth, whatever day he talks, how he handles it.

00:09:57
Speaker 3: Does he laugh it off?

00:09:58
Speaker 2: Does he say yeah, I'm more I'm pissed off as I've ever been. You know this, I didn't need motivation, but man, you know a little extra motivation doesn't hurt.

00:10:08
Speaker 3: Does he say?

00:10:09
Speaker 2: Go to Bryce Harper dot com to buy all your not elite T shirts.

00:10:14
Speaker 3: Under Armour. Go to under armour to find out elite.

00:10:18
Speaker 5: You see a couple of commercials not elite.

00:10:20
Speaker 3: You never know exactly right, exactly right, you know.

00:10:24
Speaker 2: But all those people, those T shirt makers on Etsy right now, they're sitting there going, like you said, Jim, they're going, Ah, two weeks earlier, we could have I could have made a little extra cash for the Holliday.

00:10:37
Speaker 1: He's always been very savvy when it comes to messaging. And I just think back to the workouts during the pandemic at Citizens Bank Park when when he yelled, there was nobody in the ballpark except us and management and JT. Realmudo comes up to the plane and yells sign him and it echoes all across Citizen his back park. Yep, that's messaging. And he's done other little made other little comments.

00:11:05
Speaker 4: I would have loved that at the GM by the way.

00:11:11
Speaker 3: But yeah, I mean everything from his shoes.

00:11:14
Speaker 2: You know he's got the wah wah shoes. You know, he's you know, he thinks about this stuff, the bat shoes, fag Yeah, all that stuff, the bat he's gonna wear bring to London for the London series. You know, he thinks about all this stuff. And so yeah, it was it was purposeful and it's it's slide at home in London, slide at home in London, he thought that out if he was going to hit a home run in London. You know, all that stuff is is he thinks about all these things. And I tell you what, it makes spring training a little bit more interesting. It makes twenty twenty six a lot more interesting to see kind of what how he answers, how he answers that challenge of being elite or not elite. So, uh, if you're watching it on YouTube, please hit the spry button show support for the show, and uh yeah, as always go to the Philly show Shop dot com to get into your Philly show swag.

00:12:03
Speaker 3: Forgot to mention at the top of the show.

00:12:05
Speaker 2: At the end of the show, I'm going to ask you guys what you thought the best question was at the day? And the winner is going to win a Manko and Manco gift card.

00:12:16
Speaker 5: Nice.

00:12:17
Speaker 1: So think Ruben mentioned Pat Gillick and how he said that oh sixteen was was, you know, several years away, And yeah, I mean that was such a timely conversation with you and Pat, because Jimmy Rollins on our last episode referred, you know, directly to that and how it ticked him off and it was a motivator. So I mean, it's timely what you're saying today. But also everybody go back and watch that Jimmy Carter saw part.

00:12:47
Speaker 5: Part one, end part two.

00:12:49
Speaker 2: There.

00:12:49
Speaker 5: Jimmy was just spectacular. He was He's fun to be around, fun to talk to.

00:12:54
Speaker 2: Uh never, he never disappoints, never disappoints, a lot of laughs, a few surprises at the end of Jimmy's off the field businesses that he's involved in, and all sorts of great stuff. Hall of Fame Talk twenty twenty six, Phillies Talk. I remember Aaron rowand at when they clinched the NL East in two thousand and seven, directly referencing Pat Gillick. I remember Pat, you know when he said last year that we you know, we were years away, and we proved him wrong. And so that was definitely something that they talked about behind the scenes.

00:13:28
Speaker 3: So all right, here we go. Let's here, let's get to some questions here.

00:13:31
Speaker 2: This is from Kevin Demico on X how do you feel about ESPN's take that the Phillies have a bottom five outfield and maybe the single worst outfield in.

00:13:41
Speaker 3: Major League Baseball.

00:13:42
Speaker 2: This is this being after Dave Debrowski said, the outfield is pretty much set.

00:13:46
Speaker 3: This is something that popped up in my x feed twitter feed the other day.

00:13:50
Speaker 2: It was Buster ony and and Paul Gosh.

00:13:54
Speaker 3: And I'm hembo.

00:13:57
Speaker 2: Hembo, Yeah, hembo, basically going through with the stats and saying, you know, Adolas Garcia last year like last and non base percentage of all qualified hitters, they have justin Crawford with a sixty one percent round ball rate. You have Brandon marsh who the Phillies have even said is is not you know, quality against left handed pitching. He's gonna be a platoon guy. So you can make the argument for sure that the outfield is could be one of the worst.

00:14:25
Speaker 3: Major League Baseball. But how do you guys feel about it?

00:14:29
Speaker 1: I think, you know, in December or here in January. First, it's fair to point that out. I mean last year they were you know, below average offensively, and I think they were just just about at the bottom defensively. And you know, a lot of these advanced metrics and to me they don't look very improved. So but I also, you know, time will tell you're banking on Garcia having a bounce back year and after those two dreadful years.

00:15:01
Speaker 5: That might be.

00:15:03
Speaker 1: Unrealistic, but you know, you've got to let it play out. But I do think it's it's it's a weak spot on the team. We're gonna find out how weak. We're gonna find out if it's a little if it's a little bit improved. And I think it could be a unit that is continues to evolve as the season goes on, trade deadline approaches, things like that, as you get a read on Crawford, as you get a read on what you're gonna get from Garcia. So you know it's it's it. It's the unspectacular unit at best. We're gonna find out.

00:15:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, you can't walk away when we talk about this all the time. What's what's on the back of that baseball card? And if you look at the back of the baseball card, it's it's not a very good outfield. It's as simple as that. You don't know what you're gonna get out of Crawford. Obviously, that is to me sort of the wild card. You just don't know what kind of production he's going to give you. As a rookie player playing every day in center field in Philadelphia for a contending team now Garcia. They're hoping that he bounces back, but there's no evidence that he necessarily will do that. In Marsh, you got a guy who has really sort of struggled against left handers. He did pick it up at the second from you know, April thirtieth on. He did have a pretty darn good year offensively against right handers, but he hasn't proven.

00:16:28
Speaker 5: To anybody that he is an every day.

00:16:30
Speaker 4: Left fielder or centerfielder. So yeah, I mean to look at the back of the baseball cards. It's not a great outfield and it's probably well below average, but you just don't know.

00:16:41
Speaker 5: You have to play the games out As Jim said.

00:16:45
Speaker 4: I gotta believe that it's something that the Phillies will continue to look at. It's something that they're hopeful that. I think that we believe in Otto Kemp as a right handed platoon type of a guy to help Marsh.

00:16:59
Speaker 5: Maybe that adds to their offense.

00:17:01
Speaker 4: Again, a little bit of a crap shoot because Otto Camp, while he had a nice uh you return to the big leagues and then they believe in him, he still really hasn't put up those numbers. So uh yeah, you're you're you're taking some chances here. The Phillies have put themselves in between the rock and a hard place by signing the long term deals.

00:17:21
Speaker 5: The Turners, the Harper's and uh.

00:17:25
Speaker 4: You know, the Nola's and Schwarbers of the world, and they've sort of painted themselves into a little bit of a u into a corner as far as their outfield production is concerned, because they can't really spend on the outfield because they spent it all on their pitching and their core players.

00:17:39
Speaker 5: So they're in a tough spot.

00:17:42
Speaker 4: And we we talked about this at the beginning of the offseason that uh, you know, David Browski could have to thread the needle. They're hopeful that threading the needle includes having bounced back years from from Garcia and more development from marsh and and the hope that infusing some young talent in a guy like Crawford will help this team.

00:18:02
Speaker 2: It just kills him that Nick casts a deal was such a you know, a flop. I guess you could say, five years, one hundred million dollars. They've heard him getting a perennial All Star player, you know, so they signed him to that big contract and you know, our buddy Aircrats on Foul Territory last week or recently was talking about how, you know, Phillies fans should be careful what they wish for and not not wanting to have Nick Castias back. And you know that's not a fan driven move. It's not like fans are so angry with Nick Castiano that they want him out of here like just and now the front office is reacting saying, we got to get this guy out of here because fans are going to kill him next year. This is something that the front office and the manager and the coaching staff want to happen. They want they want him out of the clubhouse. He does not want to be in the clubhouse. They don't want him in the clubhouse. And so they they kind of so they're they've decided to make this decision. So he's not going to be back next year. And now essentially they've committed thirty million dollars to a Dolas Garcia to be the right fielder, twenty million dollars in dead money to Nick Castianos, and ten million dollars on a hope and a prayer that Garcia can bounce back and be somewhat more productive. But they're I think they're looking a lot of this. They're hoping that there's addition by subtraction in a lot of ways. You know, you take a guy that doesn't want to be there, you get him out, and you hope. Everything I've heard about Garcia is that he's a great guy. He's upbeat, he's energetic, he's well liked by his teammates, and you hope that he can find something even incrementally, be incrementally better. Talking about Pat Gillick, you always said that, Ruben, right, I mean, just get it incrementally, just a little bit better. Maybe he can be a little bit better than he was last two years and be better than Nick Castianos, and maybe that'll be a big plus.

00:19:49
Speaker 5: So it's all about helping him win games.

00:19:51
Speaker 4: I mean, whether it's on the defensive side of the ball or the offensive side of the ball. If he can help them win more games than Castianos was going.

00:19:58
Speaker 5: To help them do, and that's certainly a plus.

00:20:02
Speaker 1: And you're so right, Todd, that it's not a fan driven move. Yeah, not at all.

00:20:06
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:20:07
Speaker 2: So Sean Siffel on Facebook, how much longer do you think the Phillies will wait for a decision from j T real Mito. It kind of feels like he is holding the team hostage. At some point, the Phillies need to walk away. A lot of JT questions if JT moves off, if the Phillies move off JT. This is from T grow TONI on X, do you see them allocating money to another need tea worth on X? Who else is showing interest in JT? Don't see a real market for him, certainly at his age he wants to play for contender, et cetera, et cetera. So how long do you think they can they can wait? Do they just have to wait it out?

00:20:44
Speaker 5: Well?

00:20:44
Speaker 1: I think it's how long? How long can j How long can JT? Wait?

00:20:47
Speaker 3: As well?

00:20:48
Speaker 1: I think at some point he's going to want to know where the heck he's going. Yeah, I actually we've talked a lot about we know the Phillies have made an offer. I actually think they are at three years. I'm trying to put some pieces of the puzzle too. I think they're at three years, and I think they knew they were gonna have to go three years, because you give the extra year to get a guy off the market. Maybe there's a two year and a three year proposal. I mean, they do all these things, but I think they're probably at three years, and I think the staredown is over the over the salary, over the money. If they can close it, they'll get it done. But how long can they wait? I mean they're they're I think they can wait a little bit because I agree with the with the question. I don't see a huge market.

00:21:34
Speaker 4: For sure, I don't. I'm not sure how long Dave Dombrowski. At some point Dave is going to say, hey, let's es or get off the pot. It's time to make a move. We need to, you know, move forward with this ball club and try to figure out how we're gonna put together nine players on that field. And I think it's also sort of like and I don't necessarily think think that they would allocate money differently. They could, and it could at least give them an opportunity to do some different things. There's still two third baseman infielders out there, right handed hitters that could impact this team in some way, and the fact that they have a right handed hitting third basement right now on their team. All of those machinations, the things that could happen if JT doesn't sign. There's a lot of different pieces that could move around. Who knows who's heavy on Bregmant, who's heavy on Bishet, who might be interested in a guy like Alec Bohm if the Phillies decide to move from him and then try to sign one of those other two free agents. There's so many different things that can happen, and none of it can happen until they know exactly what's going on with JT. So at some point I think that Dave Dombrowski, and I'm not saying they're necessarily on those other players, but it gives them an opportunity to me maybe explore some things if they know whether JT's in or out. And I think at some point, Dave Dombrowski, if I was sitting in his seat right now, I would not wait too much longer. I would not wait past the middle of January for me to make these moves because all of these different things that I could do to make this team a little bit better could go away and uh and and that would be a detriment to the Phillies.

00:23:32
Speaker 5: That's just my thought. As an next GM, you can only wait so long, and I disagree with you, Jim. I think they're sticking to two. I think they're staying on two, and I think that's the reason why he hasn't signed.

00:23:42
Speaker 1: Well, I'm just saying I think I'll sign, Well if it's three and he what if it's three and he's not, you know, he thinks it's too much for pay cut?

00:23:50
Speaker 4: You know, Well that's a possibility, But I just don't. I think the Phillies are gonna stick to their guns and stay on the two.

00:23:56
Speaker 1: Years, and it might end up too with a higher AAV. I just I think there might be a proposal on each side. Two three maybe. And I think my feel is the big stumbling block is probably the Mary.

00:24:13
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:24:14
Speaker 1: Was he twenty three last year and a half?

00:24:17
Speaker 2: I think, yeah, twenty two to twenty five year one hundred and fifteen point five.

00:24:22
Speaker 5: So it was over twenty three.

00:24:23
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was twenty three to one or something.

00:24:25
Speaker 1: So the numbers you hear and are big. The numbers you hear represent a significant pay cut.

00:24:30
Speaker 5: Yeah, But the market is what it is. I mean, if you look at the market, the market is what it is.

00:24:34
Speaker 4: And I know if it's a pay cut, but maybe he was overpaid for the twenty three million a year.

00:24:40
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, yeah, it's uh, it's gonna be you know, Ruben, Like behind the scenes, how confident can a front office get in terms of knowing or as much as you can know what the market is for a particular player In other words, the Phillies front office right now, how how much of a sense do they have? Like, listen, there's nobody else out there that's going to offer what we're going to offer, Like like do you? I guess you can't never truly know, right, I mean, I.

00:25:08
Speaker 4: Mean that's the difficulty of being in the position on the on the team side is that you probably don't know who's really interested. On the players and the players association side, they may very well know all the information and they probably do.

00:25:24
Speaker 5: And that's the difficulty.

00:25:26
Speaker 4: And you know, the reason why you can't have conclusion and all that other stuff is that these these players can choose and get all the information while the teams don't know any of it. They don't have any idea whether the San Francisco Giants or the Mets or whoever it is is actually in on this player. And so none of that and none of that information can can be tossed now you can. You can surmise, or you can listen, or you have your scouts do as much you know, and some of the front office people do as much recount.

00:25:58
Speaker 5: As you can.

00:25:59
Speaker 4: But I mean, the confidence that you have right now is the guy's not signed, right he's either getting a deal that he doesn't that he likes, that he doesn't like from that particular team and doesn't want to play for that team, or he's just not getting the deal that he wants and thinks that he deserves right now.

00:26:18
Speaker 5: That's all we can think of right now.

00:26:20
Speaker 2: Right I would like to think that JT at the very end, if he gets a bigger offer, would come to the Phillies and give him the last chance effort.

00:26:28
Speaker 4: Well, I don't think there's any question about that. And that's and that's where the rubber hits the road. If some team comes to the three year, seventeen or eighteen million dollar AaB, they'll go to the Phillies and say, well, give me your best and final and then he'll just have to make a.

00:26:43
Speaker 2: Decision, right all right, So here we go. Let's DL seventy two on Blue Sky. If the Phillies had the payroll to do this, and he says, and I'm assuming they don't. Who would you like to see them sign Ranger Suarez or Tatsuya am I. Do you re signed the player you know and it has been a great post postseason pitcher or your first star player from Japan?

00:27:09
Speaker 1: Good question I did. That's been Ranger for one year, might be question of the of the.

00:27:17
Speaker 5: Of the show.

00:27:20
Speaker 3: I tell you, I tell you what I would do.

00:27:21
Speaker 2: I'd probably take a mind from Japan. Try to get into that market. You've been trying so hard, you've you've not gotten there. He's twenty seven, A lot of great comps out there, you know, there's been some recent success from from pictures from Japan, and man, that'd be hard to turn down if you could get if you could snap your fingers and get one or the other. Again, he's also three years younger I think than Ranger, three or four years younger than Rangers. So there's that's another thing to consider.

00:27:49
Speaker 1: What if Ranger doesn't get multi he could come back on a one year deal?

00:27:54
Speaker 5: Correct he could?

00:27:56
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean there's no there's no reason why he couldn't. I know, on a one year I think I would certainly consider there's no bad one year deals unless it's like seventy million dollars.

00:28:11
Speaker 5: I sort of tend to go with where Todd's at on this.

00:28:14
Speaker 4: It finally gives them an opportunity to make some inroads in that Japanese marketplace.

00:28:21
Speaker 5: It's obvious that there's some some players.

00:28:23
Speaker 4: That that are have been impactful at the major league side from some of those players, and so I have not seen the player. I have not scouted him, I don't know him, but the reputation seems very positive. And if they feel like they can bring a player like that and have him impact, especially with the way this rotation is a little saucy right now, because because they've got some questions about Wheelers short term and long term health, they have some questions about Nolan's effective efficacy, they have some questions about, you know, whether or not Taiwan Walker can be a guy, and they answer questions about Painter what's he going to be?

00:29:06
Speaker 5: So those questions, I'm okay, I.

00:29:09
Speaker 4: Would be really into seeing in my in a Philadelphia Phillies uniform, and I think it'd be a positive thing all the way around.

00:29:17
Speaker 5: Knowing that it's risky, that's Okay, Pat Gillick says, mate, you know, don't be afraid to take a risk, right, and that would be a good one for me.

00:29:23
Speaker 1: How many years would you take that risk? What would be your cutoff?

00:29:28
Speaker 4: Well, I'd like to take it for three years, but it's probably going to take closer to.

00:29:32
Speaker 5: Four or five, which is which which is a heavy risk.

00:29:34
Speaker 4: But that's sometimes that's what it takes to get into those marketplaces.

00:29:39
Speaker 5: And and uh and it may be whove the Phillies to do it.

00:29:44
Speaker 2: Now again, everything I've been told, you know, going back a few weeks now, is that once they sign JT that they're they're out on all the big time free agents. Bregman, Bishett Bellinger, all those guys, you know, Ranger bringing him back in a multi year deal, you know all those guys.

00:30:01
Speaker 3: Now that said a couple of years ago, they made it. They made a competitive offer to Yamamoto.

00:30:07
Speaker 2: They knew he wasn't going to accept it, so it was kind of like, let's throw them three hundi and you know whatever. Now, now maybe there's a situation where the market's developing and he has to sign soon, am I where they go, let's let's do it let's just we're gonna blow past the luxury tax and we're not going to bring back JT. We'll figure out what we're going to do there. I mean, that's not really going to save you that much. And we're gonna have Castias off the books next year, walk her off the books next year.

00:30:32
Speaker 3: So who knows. I'd be surprised. I'd be very surprised.

00:30:35
Speaker 2: Jim would you'd be surprised if they were in on am I I mean.

00:30:39
Speaker 1: I would be in it.

00:30:40
Speaker 5: I would.

00:30:42
Speaker 1: I'm sure they're monitoring, because that's what they do. You monitor where the market goes. You never know what could fall into your lap. I mean JT was a perfect example. When they traded for j T. He was going with the Mets, the Braves, the Reds, the Dodgers, they were all in on it. There was nothing all winter. All of a sudden, he's still a marlin. They need to move. He drops into Phillies lap. So you know, you monitor it because you never know. But I just I'm not feeling it, and I think a lot of times you can feel these things. But hey, I mean, you know, you guys make good points. I'm very concerned about the depth in the rotation. The mile is in the rotation, the health history is in the rotation. I mean, you know, Canola bounced back from a really troubling year with the workload he has carried. And I was looking at some numbers the other day, from the start of seventeen through the end of twenty four, Aaron Nola led the majors and innings by far over Garrett Cole. I mean, the guy has carried a big load. Wheeler coming back from surgery, has carried a big load. Gonna pitch at thirty six young man and Painter, I mean, I'm sure they're out there, but most rookies have some type of growing pain. There are those that don't, the exceptions, but so you know, Painter, there's a little bit of uncertainty. So that rotation, could, you know, it could be dynamite if they're all healthy and all, you know, dealing. Could it could take them where they want to go. But I would love to see some more depth and quality depth, like a guy like in my Hey, you know, I'd even consider Ranger if he's still floating out there at some point. But like you said, Todd, they might be done after they do JT and JT is an important piece of the equation with this pitching staff, I still feel like he's coming back.

00:32:36
Speaker 2: G pap nine six three one on Instagram. Is the twenty twenty six bullpen on paper better or worse than twenty twenty five. Hey, now, they traded Matt Strom the other day they got Jonathan Bolan from the Royals.

00:32:50
Speaker 1: I only care about being better in October, right, you know, the last two Octobers they have their bullpen has like a six eight seventy five blown saves in eight games last two Octobers, So I think it's going to be okay. I think Dobrosky goes out fix his stuff at the deadline, and you've got to pitch good in October. So I only care about it being better in October. They might be. I mean, I like the Keller deal, and I like having a full season of uh of nowhere where I'm going at the end of the game, including October, so I think they could actually be better.

00:33:22
Speaker 4: Rubin, I think they're deeper. I think they have some depth and a little bit more versatility. I'm not sure if they're better that that. You'll find out when this when the games start. That's when you find out whether they're better and when the real situation where Keller has to hold down a lead with a one run lead in the eighth inning to hand the ball to Juan Duran. I think overall they're going to be better because they didn't have Doran until late late July. So overall for the season, it's going to be a better you know, I think they have better quality with regard to their you know, their full staff, but you know, the rubber heads the road when you see them actually performing. Ken Keller continue to pitch the way he pitched in Chicago. Can he now catapult himself forward to be that elite set up man. You don't know until he takes the baseball at a Citizens Bank Park against the Mets and closes, you know, and helps hold a game. That's you know, he's got to face Squan Soto and whoever.

00:34:34
Speaker 5: Then we'll know.

00:34:37
Speaker 2: K on Threads writes on Threads, I need everyone's quick fire response on the least smart offseason decision and the smartest off season decision?

00:34:51
Speaker 5: Anything pop in your mind?

00:34:53
Speaker 4: Come right, are you talking about Phillies best worst off season decision so far?

00:35:00
Speaker 2: I mean it's I mean, you know, best re signing Kyle Schwarber.

00:35:06
Speaker 4: I think that's probably the best decision, I believe, I agree.

00:35:11
Speaker 2: Can you mentioned the whole that would be right now, the panic that would be if he had signed with you know, the Orioles, right unless, of course, they went and got Pete Alonzo like that day, like the like the Orioles did when they lost down on Kyle Schwarber. But and I don't know what the least least smart off season or the worst off season decision would be at this point, it's really hard to say.

00:35:35
Speaker 5: That's a hard one to say. The least intelligent decision. God, that's a that's a hard thing to say.

00:35:43
Speaker 2: Because on paper, you can you can see what you can see what they're doing.

00:35:46
Speaker 3: Again, like a lot, I know a lot.

00:35:48
Speaker 2: We talked a lot earlier in the show about our seeing you know, can you really expect him to bounce back? He's he's very Max kepler Ish in that regard.

00:35:57
Speaker 3: You know.

00:35:57
Speaker 5: I think that that could end up being the worst decision.

00:36:00
Speaker 4: It's putting ten million dollars into adults Garcia thinking that he's going to bounce back. I mean, that could end up being their worst decision because they may very well, get the same player that they would have gotten in Casianos, especially on the offensive side of the ball, on the offense, not on the defense, not on the defense.

00:36:17
Speaker 5: He'll be better defensively, there's no question about that.

00:36:20
Speaker 4: But you know, as you said, and you pointed out it was taught or or Jim that you know, you're basically it was taught. You're basically playing thirty million dollars to put Garcia out there and right field every single.

00:36:34
Speaker 5: Day, right right? Is that the right decision?

00:36:38
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. So we'll we'll see on that.

00:36:40
Speaker 2: That's again till it's it's it's going to be fascinating to see. Okay, here's here's an mciatti for a couple more, a couple more guys mcati four on Instagram. When do you try to negotiate a long term deal with Jowan Deron and what might that deal look like?

00:36:58
Speaker 1: Try to think ones free agent next season, right after this coming season.

00:37:02
Speaker 3: I gotta take a look at that.

00:37:04
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's two years.

00:37:07
Speaker 5: I think he's got another two years.

00:37:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's got he's got a lot of control left. He goes into this season, he goes into this season with four years of service time on the dot twenty seven after twenty seven, correct.

00:37:21
Speaker 1: I I I'm not.

00:37:22
Speaker 3: It's not even on my radar, right, it's not until after.

00:37:25
Speaker 4: This season, probably next next spring or after the season. Plus, you never know what's gonna happen with the basic agreement. There's a whole bunch of different things to think about. After the twenty twenty sixth season, they have to negotiate a real a real deal between MLB and MLBPA.

00:37:43
Speaker 5: So I think you hold off and wait to see what happens.

00:37:47
Speaker 1: I want to see some performance.

00:37:49
Speaker 4: Yeah, Hey, he's got to go through a full year and see how he how he handles being the closer.

00:37:54
Speaker 5: I think he's gonna be great.

00:37:55
Speaker 4: Don't get me wrong, but I think, uh, I think you give it a little time to see where it goes.

00:38:00
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:38:01
Speaker 2: Uh, Mike Ramsey on X, this is this is a good one. Cut bench start, Zach Wheeler, Roy Halliday, Cole Hammils cut bench start.

00:38:25
Speaker 3: It's I like you, just Monty, how do you even choose?

00:38:27
Speaker 5: How do you even choose?

00:38:28
Speaker 3: There, I'll go, I'll go, I'm gonna go all right.

00:38:32
Speaker 5: Cut, I mean it's it's impossible.

00:38:35
Speaker 2: Who do you cut out of those three guys. I mean we're talking about some performance. Are we talking career wise? Oh my gosh, I mean, it's imp it's hot.

00:38:47
Speaker 1: I don't know who.

00:38:48
Speaker 2: I would start, Roy Halliday. I would start Roy Halliday postseason no hitter. I still remember that game in San Francisco on the NLCS in twenty ten where he blew out his growing in the first ending, like we got to get you out of here, and he's like, f off, I'm pitching this game. He grinds out six innings, keeps the series going. I mean, just just a stud and in every way. Game five of the twenty eleven NLDS, of course, was an all time classic.

00:39:16
Speaker 3: And then you go down between Zach Wheeler and Cole Hamil's. I really don't know. I mean, I really don't know.

00:39:21
Speaker 2: Zach Wheeler is one of the all time greatest postseason performers. He's never won a World Series though. Cole Hamil's dead.

00:39:28
Speaker 1: Don't take any one of them. I'm sorry, I don't know.

00:39:31
Speaker 2: I literally can't cut politicians.

00:39:36
Speaker 5: Doc starts for me, I bench, I bench Cole.

00:39:41
Speaker 4: Hamil's and I probably cut and not because other than just at the end of the day, World Series performance and playoff performance, combination of those things, and that's the only reason.

00:39:58
Speaker 5: And has been great in both. So I mean it's hard.

00:40:03
Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess you give the edge to Cole because he's he was a World Series m v P.

00:40:07
Speaker 5: Right.

00:40:08
Speaker 4: I mean literally all three of those handedly single handedly won the World Series for the Phillies.

00:40:15
Speaker 1: Are we talking like career accomplishments? We talked to these guys in their prime. If I had to pick one of one of those guys to win their ball game. If I had to pick one of those guys to win me a ball game, it's probably Wheeler and Doc and of that too that I need to win one ball game, I probably would take Doc.

00:40:35
Speaker 3: In his prime.

00:40:36
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you're right, Yeah, I mean your your your life is on the line.

00:40:40
Speaker 3: Who you picking to start a big game for you? For me, you would be Roy Roy Holley.

00:40:44
Speaker 1: I think Wheeler would say, look at me and see, is your life on the line. I'm giving up six in the first inning.

00:40:54
Speaker 4: There's no disrespect to Wheeler or these guys are just elite, and I think that they're I think that in the case of Wheeler, it's something that fans should really embrace what he has done for this team in this franchise because he has just been spectacular.

00:41:15
Speaker 5: He's must see TV.

00:41:17
Speaker 2: He's a guy that go ahead, Jim, you're right, No, I want to hear you go home.

00:41:21
Speaker 3: He's a guy in a few years.

00:41:22
Speaker 2: You know that the injury of this year throws everything up in the air. But I was legitimately wondering if you finish this contract strong without injury.

00:41:30
Speaker 3: Of course, now he's injured.

00:41:31
Speaker 2: Uh Is he a future Hall of Famer even though he's not going to be close to three hundred wins?

00:41:37
Speaker 3: And you know the game has changed. I watched this guy pitch.

00:41:40
Speaker 2: I'm like, this guy is in the conversation for Hall of Fame, much like Cole Hamil's in the country.

00:41:46
Speaker 5: Yeah.

00:41:47
Speaker 2: Right, definitely a Wall of Famer. I mean, you know, where would they do Zach Wheeler one of the greatest free agent signings ever, not much less history.

00:41:54
Speaker 3: Five years What was the original deal? Five eighteen? Oh my god, that's.

00:42:00
Speaker 1: What I was gonna say. You got him and Schwarber on the same roster to the You know they're both on extensions now, but their original contracts with the Phillies. Two of the greatest signings in franchise history. Just guys that came here and delivered.

00:42:16
Speaker 5: They sure did.

00:42:18
Speaker 4: They didn't deliver a world series yet, but they certainly delivered on an individual basis.

00:42:23
Speaker 5: It's not not because of them that they didn't. They didn't do so.

00:42:26
Speaker 1: So much goes into so much goes into a world series, right, You just got everything's got to be clicking, right, and it hasn't. And they and they, they've honestly self destructed in the last two octobers. You know it's on them, but you cannot fault contributions they've gotten from those guys, you know, long haul over over one hundred and sixty two games.

00:42:50
Speaker 3: Tom Robson on Blue Sky, it's opening day.

00:42:53
Speaker 2: You're invited to dance with the fanatic on top of the dugout. What song are you dancing to?

00:43:03
Speaker 4: Well, it's probably you guys are actually thinking eithern F song, Earth Wind and Fire, or you two one of the two my two all time favorite groups. Not sure which one. Kind of an eclectic grouping there, but that's me.

00:43:22
Speaker 1: What would I pick?

00:43:25
Speaker 2: Go ahead, I was gonna say I would try to bring drag my kids on stage to us, so I don't embarrass myself too much, and I would probably pick a song that they are into right now, and it's probably from the Netflix movie K Pop Demon Hunters. Really bring my two girls up on stage and have some fun with it that way. But I know there was gonna be a song just for me. I was the only person up there.

00:43:50
Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. Maybe some prince. Oh good call, maybe some prince. Maybe some prince.

00:43:59
Speaker 1: I'm go I might go slow dance with the FNAG really yea, yeah, I might go more than this by Roxy Music.

00:44:09
Speaker 3: I'll have to look that one up.

00:44:10
Speaker 5: I don't know if I know that song, Jim.

00:44:14
Speaker 3: Last question jays Aquella on Blue Sky. What did Jim cook for the holidays?

00:44:19
Speaker 5: Oh?

00:44:19
Speaker 1: Boy, I haven't done much cooking. My wife does it. Because I'm trying to think we do anything special.

00:44:30
Speaker 5: You haven't been out in this cold weather on the barbiet you.

00:44:33
Speaker 1: I haven't ventured out. I would, but I wouldn't hesitate.

00:44:37
Speaker 5: But so you're not as much of a gamer as I thought you were.

00:44:41
Speaker 3: Jim, I am a gamer.

00:44:43
Speaker 1: I'll go out there. I just uh did some cookies and stuff with my wife. But you know, nothing, nothing exciting. I can't even remember. Well, we're getting old now.

00:44:59
Speaker 3: Yeah, do you guys have a good Christmas?

00:45:02
Speaker 4: Great Christmas, bounced around, went to Cleveland for a Christmas Day, was with my mom on on Christmas Eve. She's been doing it, Judy's been doing it for forty years. Christmas Eve, and then I flew on Christmas Day.

00:45:17
Speaker 5: Not a bad travel day.

00:45:19
Speaker 4: Actually traveled on Christmas Day to Cleveland to be with my partner and her family and solid.

00:45:27
Speaker 3: That's awese.

00:45:28
Speaker 1: How about you to cooking and good just prime rib?

00:45:31
Speaker 2: Did a prime rib? It's stressful to the prime rib. You know, you don't want to You just don't want to mess up Christmas dinner.

00:45:39
Speaker 4: So would you rather be a little less juicy and not well done?

00:45:44
Speaker 5: Do you go really rare or do you rare? You like it? You like it beaten? Oh? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like it right off? You know, just simmer it.

00:45:54
Speaker 3: Hold the prime rib out.

00:45:55
Speaker 2: It was about one hundred and twenty eight degrees in the middle, so it was nice and red. You pull it out, let it rest for twenty minutes, Mondy to cook the juices go back in perfect, absolutely perfect, worked out?

00:46:09
Speaker 3: Well yeah, absolutely so?

00:46:11
Speaker 2: All right, guys, that was great. Thanks to everybody for the questions. As we kick off twenty twenty six.

00:46:16
Speaker 1: We're gonna do the winner.

00:46:17
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, Oh my gosh, who's your winner? Oh my god? Thanks Jim.

00:46:21
Speaker 5: Who's the guy that.

00:46:22
Speaker 4: I think the person I don't know, the female or female that asked about the uh to me, the one that was asked about Ranger and Emi, which way would you go?

00:46:32
Speaker 5: I thought that that was a very thoughtful question.

00:46:35
Speaker 3: D L seventy two on Blue Sky.

00:46:38
Speaker 5: So you're what do you guys think? What do you guys think? Differently?

00:46:41
Speaker 1: I like that one because it, you know, it brings into the thought process the current rotation and the depth issue, and you know, all the question marks they have. And it would be with AMAI help you this year and in the future with Ranger, you bring him back on like a one year, dear Hello, deal might make an exception. I might make a parallel exception if I get him back on a on a one year.

00:47:08
Speaker 5: But it would be interesting. It's all good, it's all. That's that's why it's such a good question, very compelling. Yep.

00:47:15
Speaker 3: So there you go. DL seventy two. We'll be reaching out to you.

00:47:19
Speaker 2: Send you Manco Manco gift card if you missed the last two episodes of twenty twenty five. Definitely go back and check out the Jimmy Reynands Part one, Part two.

00:47:27
Speaker 3: It was it was tremendous. We had so much fun of Jimmy.

00:47:30
Speaker 1: What was your favorite part?

00:47:32
Speaker 2: Well, I know what part that Jimmy thought was my favorite part was when he started talking about his business ventures.

00:47:41
Speaker 5: Funny.

00:47:42
Speaker 1: He is a very smart guy in very base.

00:47:44
Speaker 4: Mark, very very he's he's an entertaining guy and uh, he's going to have a job on TV and or in his podcast and what have you for a long long time.

00:47:56
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely go check out the six to one one podcast. I know both of you guys would like uh episode you got it. He had a two part of earlier this month last month with Freddy Freeman, which was just great.

00:48:06
Speaker 3: Yes, just great. So go back and check out the six to one one podcast as well. The Philly Show.

00:48:11
Speaker 2: Guys, we will be back next week.

00:48:15
Speaker 1: Happy New Year everyone, and we will smell you in the new year.

00:48:19
Speaker 5: Tell you later, jim.

00:48:21
Speaker 2: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.