Latest / Foul Territory / Jim Bowden’s Front Office Unfiltered: Pirates, Red Sox & Brewers make moves. What’s next?

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Jim Bowden’s Front Office Unfiltered: Pirates, Red Sox & Brewers make moves. What’s next? · Foul Territory

• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Front Office Unfiltered with FT resident GM Jim Bowden, also
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: host of the new GM Territory Go checkout episode number two.
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: But JB, let's start with all of the activity today
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: and marcel A Zuna to the Pirates, feel free to
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: join in on the debate that we've got going on here.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: What do you think about this move and do you
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: think there could be one more move left in the
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: Pirates here?
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that the Pirates are trying. You know,
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: we've talked about that before. I mean the fact they're
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: going to try to add some offense. Look, you've got
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: four years left of Paul Skins. If you keep them
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: for the six years, try to win while you have him. Right,
• 0:44
  Speaker 2: You've got Connor Griffin who's another generational talent like Paul Skins,
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: and he could be in the big leagues this year.
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: So you've got some really bright spots coming here, So
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: take advantage of it and do what you have to
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: do within your financial parameters to try to win. And
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: for the first time since Ben Cherrington has been the
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: GM of the Pirates, they're having an offseason where they're trying.
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: You know, Brandon Loue comes in the trade with Tampa.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: That's a thirty home run bat if he can stay healthy.
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: They're bringing Ryan O'Hearn, who had the best year of
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: his career last year. Now, I'm guessing with the Ozuna
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: signing today, o'hearne, w'll play right and I'll move Brian
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Reynolds back to left. That would be my guess, since
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: O'Hearn's not going to dach now that a Zun is there.
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: But look, as long as Ozuna is hips, okay, he
• 1:29
  Speaker 2: should still be able to hit at twenty twenty five
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: and drive in some some big runs for them. So look,
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: I like the fact they're trying. I like the fact
• 1:37
  Speaker 2: they're making progress. I would have liked them have been
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: able to sign Uenniosuarez or trade Freesock Paradus in upgrade
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: third base. I don't think they should be done, but
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: I like where they are and I think they're relevant again,
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: and I think that's good for baseball.
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: They are relevant, but wouldn't one more move? Just look nice, Jim,
• 1:57
  Speaker 3: just so, I mean, just one more you can find
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: you are a GM you can go to if you're
• 2:03
  Speaker 3: Ben Sherrington, you can go to Bob Nutting and say, look,
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Bob we're here. We need ten million dollars to get
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: us over the finish line, to really give us a
• 2:11
  Speaker 3: chance to get to the postseason, really really excite our fans.
• 2:15
  Speaker 3: Drive those people come in to the games, drive the
• 2:17
  Speaker 3: people watch, and drive the everything that they need to
• 2:20
  Speaker 3: make up that ten million dollars. I'm not saying it's
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: ESAC parades, but find somebody out there that that last
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: move that people say, Okay, we can actually really compete
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: now for the playoffs.
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think I think Ben Charrington's trying to
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: do that. I mean he has been engaged quite a
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: bit with Data Brown, the general manager of Houston for parade.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: It's just like Boston has been. They haven't matched up,
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: but they keep having discussions. So he's out there trying
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: and look up, be surprised if he doesn't end up
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: at some point upgrading at third base. And you don't
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: necessarily have to spend money. You know, you can go
• 2:56
  Speaker 2: get a bat that you know maybe becomes excess in
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: other spot. But I agree, you don't stop. Now. They've
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: done a really good job this offseason, and you keep
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: the pedal of the metal. You don't stop. But I
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: like the fact they've added a little bit of depth here.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, because I like Garcia, the outfielder they got
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: from the Red Sox in an earlier trade. This winner,
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: and so now with O'Hearn and Cruz and Reynolds. Now
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: with O'Hearn in the outfield, with Ozuna dhing it gives
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: you a little bit of depth to to help prepare
• 3:28
  Speaker 2: for injuries, which is extremely important. And I think Connor
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: Griffin's the guy that's going to move the needle, you guys.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: I mean, let's be realistic. I know everyone's gonna go, oh,
• 3:35
  Speaker 2: he's nineteen years old, so is Bryce Harper.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: Just stop it.
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: Connor Griffin's that guy. He's the teenager that can actually
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: get to this level and hold his own. I'm not
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: saying he's gonna win Rookie of the Year and be
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: the superstar, but I think he probably can hold his own.
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: This guy's got great back to ball skills. He's got speed,
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: he's got power, he's a hitter, you know, foul pole,
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: the foul pole, and you know he could be a
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: huge ference maker for them. But to your point, yeah,
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: keep going, aj keep going.
• 4:04
  Speaker 5: Has a huge difference maker.
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: Is it six weeks that the Pirates have right now
• 4:08
  Speaker 3: not to make a decision on Connor Griffin, but to
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: extend him. Do you think there's talks in Pittsburgh because
• 4:15
  Speaker 3: the purse strings.
• 4:16
  Speaker 5: Have been opened?
• 4:16
  Speaker 3: And if you do, what's that money look like for
• 4:19
  Speaker 3: Connor Griffin before he ever sets a foot in the
• 4:22
  Speaker 3: big leagues?
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean he'll break records. I mean that's what
• 4:26
  Speaker 2: it'll look like. It'll be like nothing you've seen before.
• 4:29
  Speaker 2: You know that the days of signing the Akunya Albi's
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: deals are behind us. If I had to give a
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: comp of what it would look like, to be more specific, Eric,
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: I'm going to go with the Jackson Urio contract on steroids.
• 4:47
  Speaker 3: Wow, that's a big one on ster Like what does
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: that mean on steroids?
• 4:52
  Speaker 5: Like?
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: What are we talking more then Jackson than Churio got? Yeah,
• 4:57
  Speaker 3: and the Pirates with the pirates lay that out though,
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: because they've just got to a hundred with Brian Reynolds.
• 5:03
  Speaker 3: Would they lay that out there for a guy that
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: hasn't really proven it?
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: I don't think. I don't think the ownership would do that,
• 5:08
  Speaker 2: but that's what they should do. I mean, you want
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: to get schemes in conquer Griffin before they do it once,
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: they do it, good luck. That's when it gets the hardest.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: You need to sign these guys when you're taking on
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: just as much risk or more as they are. That's
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: when you have to get these deals done or you can't.
• 5:25
  Speaker 2: I mean, look at what the what the Reds offered
• 5:28
  Speaker 2: La Da La Cruz, which was north of what Joey
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: Vado got. They were gonna make them the highest paid
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: Red ever. La Dayla Cruz turned it down. I mean,
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: but that's what it's gonna take if you if you
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: want to sign Connor Griffin, that's what it's gonna take. Now,
• 5:40
  Speaker 2: do I think the ownership in Pittsburgh is gonna have
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: an appetite to take that kind of risk and gamble
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: and commit that kind of money. Yep, I probably don't,
• 5:49
  Speaker 2: but that is the right play in this marketplace.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: Hey, JB, your thoughts on you know what? Oh sorry here,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: I am Andrew McCutcheon. Could you know do at this point, like,
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: do you think, yes, he's going to want to field
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: an offer from another team?
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: What do you have on cut here?
• 6:09
  Speaker 2: Yeah? I just think the way the whole thing was handled.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, he's been the face of the franchise. He
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: wasn't dealt with with respect, and I think that's just
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: really sad. You know, if you're not going to bring
• 6:18
  Speaker 2: the player back, then I think in September you have
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: the conversation, offer him and Andrew McCutcheon day, give him
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: an opportunity to retire, and if he doesn't, still give
• 6:27
  Speaker 2: give him a day, but to have these kind of
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: feelings afterwards, and look, and mccutche it's a Pittsburgh guy.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: His family lives there, right, He's in that community. He
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: is beloved in that community. You know, I still think
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: i'd bring him back. If I were Ben Sherrington, I'd
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: offer him a one year deal to be a depth play.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: You know, if a Zuni gets hurt or you get
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: injury out there, you know, to have him as your
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: twenty sixth guy and let him know this this will
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: be it. You know, I probably would have done that.
• 6:54
  Speaker 2: I'm not sure if he's going to find another home.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: His best play might be to have a press conference,
• 6:59
  Speaker 2: retire and let the Pirates honor him and have an
• 7:03
  Speaker 2: Andrew mccutchon day and do that. It's just unfortunate that
• 7:06
  Speaker 2: we've gotten here.
• 7:09
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• 8:10
  Speaker 3: Do you see that as a GM? Do you see
• 8:12
  Speaker 3: that ahead of time? That like oh Man we're gonna
• 8:15
  Speaker 3: try to win next year. We're probably not gonna bring
• 8:16
  Speaker 3: him back based on or is that not something that's
• 8:19
  Speaker 3: on your radar And you're just like, hey, we're just
• 8:21
  Speaker 3: trying to We're trying to do what we can each day.
• 8:23
  Speaker 3: Because it feels like they did cuts dirty. But I
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: also understand from the pirates sense like they're like, he's
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: not good enough to be on this team, or we
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: didn't need to offer him as much as we did.
• 8:33
  Speaker 2: Marcelo Zuna, I think you owe it too. I think
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: a player like Andrew McCutcheon is different than most players.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: I think when you when he gave the kind of
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: service time he did to Pittsburgh and when he meant
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: to the organization for the amount of years that it was,
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: you owe him that. And if you get to a
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: point where you're not sure he can help you anymore,
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: you just be straight up with the player and let
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: him know, or you know, sit down and let him know. Say, look,
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: we'll offer you one year, four million. That's how we
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: value you. We're not going to get more. If you
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: want to retire, we get it. If you want to
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: come back, we'd love you to finish your career in Pittsburgh.
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: If you do come back, this is gonna be your
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: last year here. I mean, just communicate, be honest, be transparent,
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: be up front. But you know ahead of time. This
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: is not something that as a GM you're living day
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: by day and seeing what happens. You know what the
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: player is, you know what he can still do, you
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: know what he can't do. You know his age, you
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: know the decline, you know all of those issues. Just
• 9:31
  Speaker 2: be honest with the player, because the relationship with the
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: player isn't just as a player. It should be a
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: relationship you have with him years and years after playing.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: He should be a guy that's always involved in the
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Pirate organization, whether it be in the front office or
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: in the community or charities are coming back for you know,
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: different reunions. The relationship with a player like McCutcheon is very,
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: very important to the Pirates long and short term.
• 9:57
  Speaker 5: Agree.
• 9:58
  Speaker 3: I just feel like I should have done the Wakefield
• 9:59
  Speaker 3: thing where they hey, you get one year, five million
• 10:02
  Speaker 3: for as long as you want to take in. We'll
• 10:03
  Speaker 3: figure out the roster and we'll figure out a spot.
• 10:06
  Speaker 3: Because the Red Sox did it and they were still
• 10:07
  Speaker 3: competitive and they were able to to let Tim come
• 10:10
  Speaker 3: and pitch, you know, for those years. So I just
• 10:13
  Speaker 3: feel like that was one of those ones that they
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: it's a pr mess. But he should not play for
• 10:17
  Speaker 3: another team, I mean, unless he just absolutely wants to
• 10:19
  Speaker 3: play no matter what. It's just I mean, I know
• 10:22
  Speaker 3: he's already played for some other teams, but to me,
• 10:23
  Speaker 3: he should end his career as a Pirate and go
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: into the Pirates Hall of Fame and be around. Like
• 10:28
  Speaker 3: you said, Jim, so, I totally agree with you on
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: this one. Now, let's go to another team in that division,
• 10:33
  Speaker 3: the Brewers. Caleb Durban had a nice year for him.
• 10:36
  Speaker 3: Was this just straight up Caleb Durban and Monasterio because
• 10:39
  Speaker 3: they wanted the pitching they got back from the Red
• 10:42
  Speaker 3: Sox because this one, I mean, Durbin's controllable for a
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: long time. Do they just need a pitcher?
• 10:47
  Speaker 5: Do they need they?
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: Did they like to return that much that they had
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: to give up a piece that was really good for
• 10:52
  Speaker 3: him last year?
• 10:54
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: I reached out to Matt Arnold this morning. I'd not
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: heard back from him. Caleb Durban was the best player
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: that was in this trade. He's gonna be the starting
• 11:02
  Speaker 2: third baseman for the Red Sox. I know Craig Breslo
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: came out and said second or third base, but like
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: Brendan Donovan in Seattle, the plan at least initially is
• 11:10
  Speaker 2: to play third base, which makes sense kind of where
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: they are. Then Meyer can play second or Gonzales can
• 11:17
  Speaker 2: play second if Meyer's wrist is okay, but that's where
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: that's gonna play. I was kind of taken aback a
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: little bit when I heard the news, only because I've
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: never seen Kyle Harrison with control and command. I've seen
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: the arm, I see, I see everything. I just don't
• 11:33
  Speaker 2: know if it's going to get there. But you know,
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: the one thing that really hit me again today is
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: he's twenty four years old. That's it been around a
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: long time, but he's still only twenty four and left
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: handed and with that kind of arm. So, you know,
• 11:47
  Speaker 2: do you have people in your pitching room that you
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: can improve the secondary pitches? Can you improve the delivery,
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: the release point? Can you improve the command and control?
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: I mean if my pitching people think they can, you know,
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: I had to trade Peralta firs bro you never get
• 12:01
  Speaker 2: enough starting pitching, and look the Brewers stock pilot. My
• 12:04
  Speaker 2: guess is going to be that they think Harrison eventually,
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: whether it be in a year or two, can become
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: a guy. And look, I remember way back when I
• 12:13
  Speaker 2: had a pitcher by the name of Pete Shirrick. I
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: claimed him on waivers from the New York Mets, and
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: he didn't have command and control. The velo was a
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: little bit down. And then my pitching coach at the time,
• 12:25
  Speaker 2: Don Gullet, made some adjustments and I was needing a
• 12:30
  Speaker 2: starting pitcher, and I flew into Pittsburgh to scout Zane
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: Smith at the time, and I always tell the story
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: that I went to Pittsburgh to scout Zane Smith and
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: I came back with my own Pete Shirrick, because all
• 12:41
  Speaker 2: of a sudden the pitching people made adjustments with him.
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: He finished second in Cy Young Award the next year
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: and he was a waiverclaim. And so Kyle Harrison at
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: this age, is it possible that they maybe have the
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: secret formula. That's the only thing I can think of now.
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: That being said, the other thing to keep in mind
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: is is that they do have, you know, guys coming
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: in the system. Pratt and Fisher made is going to
• 13:05
  Speaker 2: be a superstar, but he's a couple of years away,
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: but he's going to be a star. And the other
• 13:09
  Speaker 2: thing is you could put or Tease the third. You
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: could move Tang from second to short and play Jet
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: Williams at second base.
• 13:16
  Speaker 5: Or you could leave.
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: Terrag at second, put Jet at short with or Tea's
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: at third. So you know, the Jet Williams trade may
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: have made them believe that Durbin was kind of expendable. Perhaps,
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: but you know, I look at Durbin kind of like
• 13:30
  Speaker 2: I looked at Brendan Donovan. I think he's a very
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: useful player who plays above his tools. You know, he's
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: five to seven, but he doesn't chase out of his zone.
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: He keeps the bat in the zone. You know, he's
• 13:41
  Speaker 2: dirty by the by the national anthem, and can play second,
• 13:44
  Speaker 2: third and a few positions. So I liked I like
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: to pick up for Boston Alo. I will say this,
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: Rafael Devers, what did you get back for Devers? Ose Bayo?
• 13:54
  Speaker 4: Now?
• 13:54
  Speaker 3: Oh my god, they got rid of money. They got
• 13:58
  Speaker 3: rid of money. Speaking of money, the Brewers haven't spent
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: any I get it. They got you know, they got
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: big Wu back on a higher price. Maybe they didn't
• 14:04
  Speaker 3: think he was gonna come back on that on the
• 14:07
  Speaker 3: qualifying offer, but.
• 14:09
  Speaker 4: Third base is open.
• 14:11
  Speaker 3: Leave Tang at second where he won a Platinum glove,
• 14:13
  Speaker 3: and they said, hey, we're not moving him the short
• 14:15
  Speaker 3: because he's so good at second. Does this open up
• 14:18
  Speaker 3: in an East Sat Parades type of move for them
• 14:22
  Speaker 3: because they haven't spent any money, not at all.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: No, because that's not a Matt Arnold kind of player.
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: He's not athletic enough, uh, not good enough defensively to
• 14:33
  Speaker 2: play over there. You know, Matt Arnold like these likes
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: these athletes that have range. You know, he's really big
• 14:39
  Speaker 2: on athletes and gloves, and Paradis just doesn't doesn't fit
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: that for them. So yeah, I haven't heard Paradis there
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: at all. And the other thing to keep in mind,
• 14:48
  Speaker 2: you know Dana Brown the GM, and I know he's
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: on the last year of his contract, as is his manager,
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: Joe Espada, and he has been out there. But keep
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: in mind, the Astros also understand they have a lot
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: of play on this team that are high injury risk.
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: Christian Walker, Jose l Tuovey, Jordan Alvarez, Carlos Correa, all
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: of them are high injury risk. And you gotta think
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: that probably one of them is going to be on
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: the injury list most of the year, at least one
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: of them at a time. So as much as Paradis
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: looks like depth, really look like depth on opening day.
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: That's a question that I would ask, and alvaresk, you know, look,
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: he really does need a DH here. So what Houston
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: was trying to do is they were trying to trade
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: Paradis to fill left field, and if they could have
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: done a package to get Jared Duran from Boston, that
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: would have made sense. So if it was Paradis and
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: some prospects for Duran, then they put Duran and left
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Alvarez at DH, with Kore at third, Walker at first,
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: al two veh and second. That's kind of what they
• 15:49
  Speaker 2: were trying to do. But they don't have to move
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Paradis because of money that they're where they want to be,
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: where the owner wants to be budget wise, So it's
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: not like they're trying to move him. They're just trying
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: to move them that they can find a better fit
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: and help them win more games.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: Okay, So for Boston JB, they essentially choose Durban over
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: Parades and I just want to go through Durbin stat
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: cast page to try and get a glimpse of how
• 16:16
  Speaker 1: front offices view a player like this.
• 16:19
  Speaker 4: I think some.
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: Brewers fans are like, whoa, we traded him in five seconds.
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: That's a pretty unique baseball savant page. Right, there's tons
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: of blue that are in the bottom percentiles, and then
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: there's some red that is way up there. And just
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: for our podcast crowd, I'll just lay out a few
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: parts here, JB. But his expected stats like batting average,
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: slung on base pretty low right, exit v low barrel percentage,
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: hard hit percentage, batspeed like towards the bottom of the sport,
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: but then squared up percentage chase percentage with percentage strike
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: our percentage.
• 16:49
  Speaker 4: So he makes contact.
• 16:50
  Speaker 1: But this was something that was talked about when he
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: was a player in the Yankee system.
• 16:54
  Speaker 4: The Yankees love the reverse of this, right, JB.
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: They're looking for these big power masters, spatspeed, exit, velo
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: makes sense he moves to the Brewers. If the Brewers
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: say no to a player like this, do you think
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: there's any reasoning for teams? You know, and their front
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: offic is not believing in the metrics.
• 17:12
  Speaker 2: So the metrics tell the truth, right, they do science,
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: it's being measured, so you know what you're reading is accurate.
• 17:19
  Speaker 2: You know. I think Jim Leland, the Hall of Fame manager,
• 17:22
  Speaker 2: you know, would always call a player like Durbin or
• 17:25
  Speaker 2: he's just a baseball player. I can win with him.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: He's a baseball player, and you know, you can't have
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: a team filled with the Durbans. But that's that extra
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: piece that sits there and makes the plays defensively, takes
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: the extra base, throws a nice throw on a cutoff play,
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: gets a good secondary lead. It's just a guy that
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: knows how to play the game and is tough and
• 17:52
  Speaker 2: helps players around them the way the energy that he
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: brings to the ballpark every day. So he's got a
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: lot of intangibles. And you know, I think front officers
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: like the fact he doesn't chase, like the fact that
• 18:03
  Speaker 2: he squares it up. You know, we've seen a lot
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: of guys that you know, don't do well and stat
• 18:08
  Speaker 2: cast numbers right in general, guys that don't have good
• 18:11
  Speaker 2: bat speed but still win batting titles like Lewis Arise.
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: I mean, those guys are out there, so you just
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: have to interpret it. You know. To me, when I
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: look at Durban, I look at him as a really
• 18:21
  Speaker 2: good extra player on a championship team. I look him
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: as that fifth infielder type, right, That's kind of how
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: I view him. I kind of view him as like
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: a poor man's Brendan Donovan, you know, not Brendan Donovan,
• 18:33
  Speaker 2: because he's more of a you know, traffic guy at
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: the top of the lineup. But he's a winning player,
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: and you know, I can see why Boston wanted him,
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: and I don't think that they wanted him over Paradis.
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: They wanted him over the trade cost. What they would
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: have had to give up for Paradus was significantly more
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: than what they gave up here. I mean, they realized
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: they blew the Devs trade. Right. They don't think Harrison's
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: gonna get command and control, and they don't think the
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: other guy's got a good arm. Same thing, right, They
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: neither one of those guys out of control. And so
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: I think they feel like, you know, here's a quality
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: guy as they wait for you know, Marcelo Meyer to develop,
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: or you know, they wait for their other young prospects
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: to get ready. I don't think he's an answer that's gonna,
• 19:17
  Speaker 2: you know, really move the needle. Outside of he as
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: an Alex Cora type player Alex core Will know how
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: to get the most out of Durban.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: Red Sox fans thought this was the time the Red
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: Sox were going to push all in and this is
• 19:30
  Speaker 3: most likely their last move of the offseason. And even
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: Craig Reslo said, when we go get pitching, we're looking
• 19:36
  Speaker 3: for a one or two to go behind Garrett Crochet.
• 19:40
  Speaker 3: They just they just kind of tickled around the the
• 19:44
  Speaker 3: decisions that it feels like they didn't quite push all
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: the way in. Like you said, the price for the
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: trade was too much, the price for a Frambert Valdez
• 19:53
  Speaker 3: was too much. It always just seemed like they came
• 19:56
  Speaker 3: up with a reason not to make the big move.
• 19:58
  Speaker 3: Did they fail this off seat or did they just
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: kind of meddle in the middle.
• 20:03
  Speaker 2: Well, I think they did a good job with the pitching, right,
• 20:05
  Speaker 2: I mean, I do like the blend of Sunny Gray
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: and Ranger Suarez after Crochet and the rotation, and they're
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: now seven eight deep in starters, bullpen strong, So I
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: think from a pitching perspective, they're in a good place.
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: I think their outfield defense is in a really good place,
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: and offense, you know, I'm a little bit concerned about
• 20:26
  Speaker 2: the infield, you know, with an aging Trevor story. The
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: other thing to me, though, is they're just missing that
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: big bat. I mean, I don't know if there's a
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: way they could trade for a Rafael Oh sorry I couldn't.
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: Maybe they could sign an Alex Sorry didn't mean to
• 20:40
  Speaker 2: do that, but I think that's what they're missing. They're
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: missing a big bat. So you know you're looking at
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: this lineup now, is Contraras's a cleanup hit or now
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: with a bray you hitting fifth? Is that kind of
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: where they're going? I just I feel like the bottom
• 20:53
  Speaker 2: third of the lineup is going to be a challenge
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: and you're in a really tough division when you got Toronto,
• 20:58
  Speaker 2: the Yankees, and the Orioles, all of whom have way
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: better offenses than you do. So as much as I
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: love their outfield, I do love their pitching, I just
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: don't know if their offense is lethal enough to win.
• 21:09
  Speaker 2: I don't think they've done enough on the offensive side
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: of their team.
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like a lot of people are on
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: the same page with that one, waiting for Boston do
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: something else, but it appears they won't.
• 21:21
  Speaker 4: At this point. They had NOOKI votes, Oh you really
• 21:24
  Speaker 4: want to go back?
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: Okay, we're playing that game today on a Monday.
• 21:28
  Speaker 4: Hey, JB, happy baseball season too.
• 21:31
  Speaker 5: You.
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: I know you put the tweet out and I always
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: look for it. Right Football's done, We're moving on. We're
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: getting the photos and the videos of the stars over
• 21:38
  Speaker 1: at spring training, kind of getting going pitchers and catchers official,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: I think later this week, and your show just launched.
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: It's only about a week old GM territory, so I
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: just want to tell everyone one more time. Second episode
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: is live right now in l West. Grades and notes
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: from the weekend, including JB breaking down more of these
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: deals with Jim.
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: And with Trey Bowden.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: Check it out right now, go give that YouTube channel
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: subscribe please, approaching one thousand subs already and on the
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: podcast platforms as well.
• 22:07
  Speaker 4: Thank you, JB. Always a pleasure. We'll talk to you soon.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: Appreciate you too, Leo. All right, the run continues for AJ.
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: We're looking for over under regular season win totals that
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: are not in the eighties.
• 22:26
  Speaker 4: We found one.
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: The Angels are barely in the seventies. Seventy and a
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: half wins over nice. That was very definitive.
• 22:34
  Speaker 5: There are seventy five win team this year?
• 22:36
  Speaker 4: You think they're a little better this year?
• 22:38
  Speaker 3: I think another year in net On, another year, Shannwell,
• 22:40
  Speaker 3: another year, Odell. I'll hope you'll have a better year
• 22:43
  Speaker 3: this year. I feel like he kind of got banged
• 22:44
  Speaker 3: up a little bit. I think they're pitching will be
• 22:46
  Speaker 3: a little bit better. No, rendon't to worry about trout.
• 22:52
  Speaker 5: See.
• 22:54
  Speaker 3: I think what is Christian Moore the second baseman be
• 22:57
  Speaker 3: there for the full year?
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: And also they won seventy two last year, so technically
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: they could be worse and still beat that.
• 23:02
  Speaker 5: At the hook's side, I think they'll be better. I
• 23:04
  Speaker 5: think they'll be.
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: Okay, wow, even to eighty I mean.
• 23:08
  Speaker 5: If it was, everything has to go right.
• 23:11
  Speaker 4: But I think, yeah, Grayson Rodriguez.
• 23:14
  Speaker 5: Grayson Rodriguez are guys going to hopefully pitch for him there?
• 23:17
  Speaker 3: Yep.
• 23:17
  Speaker 5: I mean they made some they made some smaller moves.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: They have like all of these remember I use this
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: term earlier in the offseason. It kept happening krats the
• 23:25
  Speaker 1: replacements where it's like all these guys that had some
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: shine somewhere.
• 23:30
  Speaker 4: You remember we talked about that.
• 23:31
  Speaker 3: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, like they got them a year
• 23:33
  Speaker 3: too late.
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: Well, no, like they had a flash or they had
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: some success story in the past, and then they've gone
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: through a whole story of.
• 23:42
  Speaker 3: It was twenty eighteen, they would have just they would
• 23:44
  Speaker 3: have had the best team ever.
• 23:46
  Speaker 5: But it's twenty twenty six.
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: Right, It's like yeah, more like hey in twenty twenty
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: two or three or whatever. Right, all these guys have
• 23:53
  Speaker 1: had these flashes where I mean, Grayson Rodriguez, you know,
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: had his moment. Alec Manoa has had his moment the
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: core we're talking about. Course, Trout's had his moment for
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: a long time. Josh Lowe had his one year, right,
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: So some of those types that are in there.
• 24:10
  Speaker 4: But curious, where are you going wonder?
• 24:15
  Speaker 3: I mean, as much as I don't think Taylor Ward is,
• 24:18
  Speaker 3: you know, irreplaceable, that's a lot of Dingers.
• 24:22
  Speaker 5: They wanted more slug. They got rid of slug.
• 24:26
  Speaker 4: This year.
• 24:28
  Speaker 3: They have to figure out the whole Jorge Solaire, keeping
• 24:31
  Speaker 3: Mike Trout healthy. Joe adell Is probably gonna have a
• 24:36
  Speaker 3: little more value a few less homers this year because
• 24:39
  Speaker 3: he's not gonna have to play center field. I think
• 24:41
  Speaker 3: they're gonna have low playing center field and he and
• 24:45
  Speaker 3: Joe Adele was one of the worst defensive center fielders.
• 24:48
  Speaker 3: So I think there's things that are good, but I
• 24:50
  Speaker 3: also think there's things that are bad.
• 24:52
  Speaker 5: It's just what you were saying.
• 24:53
  Speaker 3: I love Grayson Rodriguez, but there's too many We got
• 24:58
  Speaker 3: this one shot. We got to be able to throw
• 25:01
  Speaker 3: this dart and hit a bullseye. With the Minoa signing,
• 25:04
  Speaker 3: we gotta be able to, you know, hit just this
• 25:07
  Speaker 3: perfect line. And I just feel like it's too much
• 25:10
  Speaker 3: in a division, that it's too much uncertainty in a
• 25:13
  Speaker 3: division where there's got to be some unders. And I
• 25:16
  Speaker 3: don't like the A's under. I don't like the Astros under.
• 25:19
  Speaker 3: I don't like the Rangers are just kind of there.
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: I'm okay with where they're at, and the Mariners are better,
• 25:26
  Speaker 3: so under.
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: I'm under too.
• 25:29
  Speaker 5: I think their bullpen's better, though too.
• 25:31
  Speaker 3: Palm Erant, Kirby Yates, your boys suitor Stevenson Hope was healthy,
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: Jordan Romano's there. I mean, I think their bullpen's better
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: than what it's been in the past. I think Kakuchi
• 25:44
  Speaker 3: can have a nice year of Grayson pitches. Soriano's sneaky good,
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: he's good, he's sneaky good.
• 25:50
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 25:50
  Speaker 3: I mean if Manoa can get you know, where he
• 25:52
  Speaker 3: needs to be, maybe he can help.
• 25:54
  Speaker 5: Him a little bit. But I mean their lineup.
• 25:56
  Speaker 3: Listen, you go a Hobby Shannewell, Christian Moore, Mancatta, yeah,
• 26:02
  Speaker 3: netto Adele whoever plays center field, and then right if
• 26:06
  Speaker 3: it's Trout or Celeira.
• 26:07
  Speaker 5: I mean, that's not a bad lineup. It's not It's
• 26:10
  Speaker 5: not great, but it ain't bad.
• 26:12
  Speaker 4: Would you call it maybe a little below average?
• 26:14
  Speaker 5: Yeah, but I think I think they're gonna be if
• 26:17
  Speaker 5: they were last year. They're still hit the over. Are
• 26:20
  Speaker 5: they worse than the.
• 26:22
  Speaker 4: Me Yes?
• 26:23
  Speaker 3: Yes, I think anger problem. They're the worst team in
• 26:27
  Speaker 3: the division. But that doesn't mean they're gonna lose a
• 26:29
  Speaker 3: hundred games. No, we don't need them to lose a hundred.
• 26:33
  Speaker 3: Do what they did last year and they hit over.
• 26:36
  Speaker 3: They just do what they did last year. Just do it, Angels,
• 26:38
  Speaker 3: just do what you did last year.
• 26:39
  Speaker 5: I don't think the A's are going to be as bad.
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: They're not gonna have that. They're going to figure out
• 26:43
  Speaker 3: how to not have an awful May and the Astros
• 26:47
  Speaker 3: might be the same. And I think the Rangers are
• 26:50
  Speaker 3: going to be better. I just think there's just too many,
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: too many games to play within the division for a
• 26:55
  Speaker 3: team that didn't.
• 26:56
  Speaker 5: Do enough to solidify themselves. So I'm going sixty seven
• 27:00
  Speaker 5: sixty eight.
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: Okay, good talk.
• 27:04
  Speaker 4: I like it.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: You can use in any sport no Sweat token on
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: your favorite sport football, see you Baseball soon, especially WBC.
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: We'll talk about it, but for now, hockey, basketball, golf,
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  Speaker 1: swing game, whatever it is.
• 27:19
  Speaker 5: Three weeks.
• 27:19
  Speaker 4: Yeah, ready, it's coming.
• 27:22
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