Latest / North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast / What we’re hearing about the Cubs: Dansby Swanson, WBC takeaways and more

Transcript

What we’re hearing about the Cubs: Dansby Swanson, WBC takeaways and more · North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Welcome into Northside Territory File Territory Networks Cubs Podcast. I'm
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: Sahadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney. We are your
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic Patrick. The WB
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: season full swing. Uh, spring training is in where we're
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: in the grind of spring training. Let's let's say that
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: it's a it's a what I don't even know what
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: The date is, March tenth ish, So we still got
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: two weeks before the season opens a little more than
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: two weeks before the season opens. Uh. You know, these
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: these results don't matter that much, I don't think, but
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: I do think, like, I think it's worth talking about
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: them in one sense. And we talked about that with
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: Craig Counsel this morning at Cubs camp. And and the
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: guy that I think it makes the most sense to
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: talk about with is is Day Swanson, who is having
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: a great spring training, really looks good out there. Obviously
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: we know what he's going to do defensively, but he's
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: hitting the ball and hitting it hard and getting results.
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Does that matter? Do the results matter? No? Right?
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: Like, I don't think.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: I don't think either one of us are gonna say
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: like this is hugely important. But this is why, this
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: is why I think it matters. And I asked Greg
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: counsel this and he he said, he gave a good answer.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: And look, Dansby Swanson worked on things this this spring.
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: This is a veteran. This is a guy that doesn't
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: do things very differently in the offseason because he knows
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: what works. And you know that that's what veterans do.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: They figure out what works and they stick with it.
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: Maybe make tweaks here and there, try and get better
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: here and there, but you don't change like the routine
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: a lot. He changed his workout routine. He said, it's
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: slightly changed some mechanics with his swing, and why does
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: that matter to have good results? Not the results so
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: much as Okay, he's going to stick with it. Him
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: seeing the good results is good for him and it
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: gives him conviction that what I'm doing is working and
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: now I'm going to continue to go that route. And
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: he doesn't give up on it, and he doesn't start
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: questioning himself and he doesn't have an zero four on
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: opening day or you know, a couple of games into
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: the season he's struggling. Well, he saw it work now
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: so he can stick with it for a little bit longer.
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: He's not going to give up on it right away.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: I think that.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: I think that's where it matters.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: It's funny how these narratives sort of play out, Like
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: when you first got down to spring training, you had
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: a good story about Dansby Swanson changing things up. And
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: then my last day in Mesa before I came home,
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: Council was talking about how Dansby was, you know, he
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: was explaining how Dan just trying to get this more
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: athletic feel back to his swing, that he felt like
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: he sort of got bogged down in like drill work
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: and being very mechanical. Uh. And then the other night,
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: just a friend of mine, you know, bumped into him
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: and casually caught up. He's like, hey, what's up with
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: dance Bey? Like is this is this real? Like what? What? Like?
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: Can we trust this? And then it comes up in
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Mesa on Tuesday morning. My conversation was on a Monday night,
• 3:31
  Speaker 2: and so this is, you know, a thing. Now you'll
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: have at least a note on the rising soon at
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: the Athletic And I do think it's interesting in talking
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: to Dansby just how really open and introspective he can
• 3:50
  Speaker 2: be like I was. I talked to him before I
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: left and he was like, sorry, what was your question again?
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: I just went off the rails and he's like no, no.
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: I was like, no, no, no, You're good, like you know,
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: you just sometimes he almost asks for it, just because
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: he is so good, and you could just throw open
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: ended concepts out there and he kind of hits, you know,
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: goes from point A to z uh and in a
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: very logical manner, he does go off the rails. But
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: you can totally see how he could go into an
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: off season and talk to the front office and the
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: coaching staff and I'm assuming there's a guy he works
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: with in the off season and that you know, he's
• 4:31
  Speaker 2: processing all this. And you know, even for even a
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: guy who's you know, been a number one overall pick
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: and in a World Series champion and has the huge
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: long term contract, like it's it's just fascinating how these
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: even those guys still have to constantly like tinker and
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: find out if there is another edge or another level
• 4:54
  Speaker 2: or something they could get back to from earlier in
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: their career.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah, but I feel like I've written a lot about
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: that on the pitching side as well, about just like
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: you constantly, like these veterans Jameson Tyo and Colin Ray,
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: like it's a constant battle against age. Right, and in
• 5:11
  Speaker 1: the league, I think we usually find it with pitchers
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: and and the technological advances kind of favor the pitchers.
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: In this area, player development is completely changed. It's not
• 5:26
  Speaker 1: a minor league thing anymore. Just a minor league thing anymore.
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: And it's hugely important. Uh, you have to you know,
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: you have to be on top of these things. You
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: can't fall behind.
• 5:37
  Speaker 2: Uh.
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: You hear it from the smart veterans. I'd be foolish
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: not to try and learn. I'd be foolish to not
• 5:44
  Speaker 1: to listen to what they have to offer me or
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: try and stay ahead of things, whether it's you know,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: a mechanical tweak, adding a new pitch, a new workout regimen.
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: They're they're looking for every edge. And you've got to
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: respect Dansby before you know, I think we have to
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: remember that he came last offseason. Two off seasons ago
• 6:05
  Speaker 1: was not a healthy one for him. He was coming
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: off that Corps surgery. He didn't get to attack the
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: off season like he probably wanted to. Now he's done it,
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: and he wasn't happy with this season under like he
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: could have looked at it and said, look, there are
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: underlying stats that said I had a like, my offensive
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: season was actually similar, if not better, to what I've
• 6:28
  Speaker 1: done a lot of times there were like you go
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: look at the exit velocities and expected numbers. They were
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: better than what he put up. But he wasn't happy
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: with that. He wanted to figure out what can I
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: do to like kind of avoid those things. And I
• 6:41
  Speaker 1: think there was some swing and myss that he wasn't
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: happy with. And look, you just have to you can't.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: You can't settle here, I thought. Kate Horton brought up
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: Kate Horton's obsessed with the process right now and not results,
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: and I think that's that's a big thing that these
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: guys cling to as well. You know, you didn't get
• 7:03
  Speaker 1: the results, but okay, what what along the process did
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: I not like that? I can adjust that I can
• 7:10
  Speaker 1: fix to get the results that I want. So you
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: don't obsess over the results. You obsess over the process
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: and make sure that that is what you want and
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: if you want to adjust it, if you want to
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: change it, which it sounds like dance beat Swanson did, Okay,
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: let's see if that gets you the results that you want.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: So it's a it's a different way of looking at it,
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: you know. I think it's nothing new as far as
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: focusing on process over results. It's it's just, you know,
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: they have to. It's a mental game they play with
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: themselves to make sure that they don't overwhelm themselves with
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: failure and and find a way to get you know,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: if it's a little bit more success here and there,
• 7:47
  Speaker 1: they'll they'll take it. It seems the early results you
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: got to be happy with. We still don't know. You know,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: I said it when we first talked about Dancey making changes.
• 7:59
  Speaker 1: I'm not going to bet on anything until I see it.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: You have to see it during the regular season. But
• 8:04
  Speaker 1: I think dance Piece it's a good I thought Craig
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Council's point of like, this is something, now, we'll stick
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: with it. The last thing you want is for something
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: to be working. But just because you aren't getting early results,
• 8:15
  Speaker 1: you abandon it and you don't realize, like you just
• 8:18
  Speaker 1: got to be a little bit more comfortable with it
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: or give it more time, But you abandoned it before
• 8:22
  Speaker 1: you gave it a shot and that happens. I'm sure
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: we don't know because we never know if it actually
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: would have worked, but I'm sure that's happened plenty of times,
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: and it's a confidence game.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, we're not going to become a podcast
• 8:36
  Speaker 2: about spring training stats, but this does sort of echo
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: what we've both written about with Shoda Minaga of Okay,
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: Like you had an off season plan. You see a
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: velocity boost. What does that mean? You know, not nothing,
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: but not everything. It's just kind of another thing to track.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: And you're right about Dansby. I mean, yea had a
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: strong season. I mean Baseball Reference of four point five
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: war season, I mean twenty four homers. But also we
• 9:10
  Speaker 2: all saw him drop. He also played one hundred and
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: fifty nine games. He might have been like a kind
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: of an unpee of that Padres playoff series. You saw
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: what he brings to the table. It's really heightened in
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: the playoffs. But you know, when the manager drops one
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: hundred and seventy seven million dollars shortstop towards the bottom
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: of the lineup, like it's it's noticeable, and he clearly
• 9:34
  Speaker 2: has been searching for a while. I think he's known
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: as sort of a streaky hitter. I know all hitters
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: go through these things, but he's a little more than most.
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: I think is kind of the reputation there. And he's
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: also someone who's been a defense first player and like
• 9:53
  Speaker 2: things really clicked at like the perfect time for him,
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: like heading into free agency when he found that power.
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: I don't think we're gonna notice a huge difference in
• 10:06
  Speaker 2: him at the plate. I think it'll just be all about,
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: you know, the numbers he puts up. I think sometimes
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: we squint too hard to try and find these the
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: side by sides on social media. I think it's more
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: like you said, in this process. And you know, I'm
• 10:28
  Speaker 2: curious what the Bregman factor is gonna be. That's what
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: I had asked Counsel before I laughed of you know,
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: he has this reputation for being his hitting whisper. Can
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: he help even a guy like Dansby who's a veteran
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: not just the like you know, babysitting Pete Crow Armstrong
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: or trying to be his like big brother, Like, can
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: a guy who's extremely accomplished an experienced in this game
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: benefit from Bregman? And you know how Counsel is, he's
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: sort of hemmed and hawed, But he said what Bregman
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: is really good at is kind of saying the same
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: thing a different way that you know, I don't think
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: there any like, uh, you know, revolutionary hitting ideas being
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: bounced around when Bregman walks into the room. It's more
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: of just the way he says it, you know, when
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: he says it, and kind of the credibility that he
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: brings into those, you know, meetings or even just the
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: casual conversations in the around the batting cage.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: All right, Patrick, let's take a quick break. We're going
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: to talk about not exactly bregnant, but he's at the WBC.
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: Let's talk a little WBC and what's what's happening with
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: some cubs there? All right, everyone, I know, if you're
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: like me, you're ready to get out of the house
• 11:46
  Speaker 1: as these summer months arrive. I am so excited to
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: see John Mullaney at Wrigley Field. I'm looking forward to
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: taking my kids to a game at Wrigley and hopefully
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: knock off another ballpark off our list. We try and
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: hit one every summer, which is why I want to
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: give the sponsor of today's video, Sea Geek a huge
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: shout out with over thirty five million download See Geek
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: is a number one rated ticketing app. MLB and WBC
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: are just around the corner. The NBA season is in
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: full swing and right now you can get World Cup
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: tickets on sea Geek. Sea Geek has your back. Each
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: ticket is rated on a scale of one to ten,
• 12:21
  Speaker 1: so you know you're getting a good deal. So look
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: for the green dots. Green means good, red means bad.
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: And of course I have a code for you guys.
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: You can use code Territory ten for ten percent off
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: your next set of tickets at sea Geek. That's ten
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: percent off any tickets with promo code Territory ten. Make
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: sure you click the link in the description to download
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: the app and have the code automatically added to your
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: accounts so you can use it later. Thank you, Sea Geek.
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: Let's talk a little WBC here, Patrick. All of our
• 12:51
  Speaker 1: World Baseball Classic coverage is brought to you by our
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: friends at Fox one, which is live stream all your
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: Fox favorites together in one place, including all WBC games
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: over the next few weeks, and after that, the best
• 13:04
  Speaker 1: MLB action all season long, from WBC through the World
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: Series to the World Cup, to NASCAR and IndyCar With
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: Fox One, you get it All live. Start your seven
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: day free trial today offers our subject to change. Download
• 13:22
  Speaker 1: foxwe today and stream World Baseball Classic live now through
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: March seventeenth. Go to foxwon dot com for complete terms
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: and conditions. Fox one streaming now. Make sure to check
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: out Dominican Republic versus Venezuela that is on Wednesday, March eleventh.
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: There is a postgame show on Foul Territory that you
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: all should definitely check out.
• 13:46
  Speaker 2: Patrick.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: As far as the WBC goes, Tmusa has been incredibly
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: fun to watch. In my opinion, they're playing Italy right
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: now as we record this podcast. I believe they're down Earth,
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: but that team Italy is is kind of frisky and fun.
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: But what a game on Monday Night. Aaron Judge with
• 14:10
  Speaker 1: the home run, a great defensive play. I feel like
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: Cubs fans got to watch Bobby Witt junior. The defense
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: that Bobby Wit Junior played with is something that Cubs
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: fans are familiar with with their infield, but this was insane.
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: Like some great plays, some really special plays from Bobby
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: Wit and then obviously the Cubs connection is Matthew Boyd.
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: Matthew Boyd did not best game. Gave up two home runs,
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: I believe to Jaron Duran, gave up three runs, the
• 14:39
  Speaker 1: only three runs Team USA allowed. But talking to Craig
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: Council this morning, it was very much we're not going
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: to freak out about what Matthew Boyd did on the
• 14:51
  Speaker 1: mound as much as he got his work in. He did.
• 14:55
  Speaker 1: He got sixty ish pitches out there, and then after that, uh,
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: you know, he came out of it feeling good and
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: he got his work in. That's that's the bottom line.
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: That's how I think Greig Council and the Cubs are
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: looking at this.
• 15:10
  Speaker 2: Anyone who works for the Cubs is watching this sort
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: of suspiciously or like fearing the worst, hoping for the best. Uh,
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: you know. With with Boyd, obviously he's kind of in
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: the background compared to some of these other starting pitchers
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: for Team USA who have just like seemingly dominated the
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: daily storylines and schemes and scoobleh. But you know, I
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: think Boyd, you have to give him credit for how
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: he performed last October at Wrigley Field. And you know,
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: I'll be curious to see you know, if he gets
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: another chance or kind of what the extent of that
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: next opportunity, uh would look like. I mean, the Cubs
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: kind of have a lot riding on this World Baseball Classic,
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: just specifically with their rotation. When you look at Jameson
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: Tyon as well. I know he wrote this week, is
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: it time to stop freaking out about Jamison Tyan? I
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: know we were just joking about making too much out
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: of spring training stats. What do you got on Team
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: Canada WBC results?
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, like all that freaking out about Jameson
• 16:23
  Speaker 1: Tyne and spring training and he goes out there and
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: gives you three and two.
• 16:27
  Speaker 2: Thirds one run.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: The one run that he allowed came after he got
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: two outs in an inning and then exited with a
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: runner on after a single. He I think he started
• 16:38
  Speaker 1: the game with like a very like uncharacteristic two walks
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: in like a week single if I remember correctly, and
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: it just like he got out of that without any
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: runs and then kind of looked like normal Jameson Tyone
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: pitching in the WBC, pitching in a more high leverage,
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: high intensity situation, and he was himself, And I think
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: that matters. I think I think that is the type
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: of sign that Cubs fans want to see, right Like that,
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: I think that helps you understand like, okay, there's there's
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: something to like getting your work in building up. Yeah. Look,
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: everybody would prefer good results to bad results. That's just
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: that mentally. I think they all want that. But they
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: also aren't going to freak out like Greig Councils set up.
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: He's not going to it's it's a start in March. Second,
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: So it is he pitching well? Was he pitching well? No?
• 17:33
  Speaker 1: Now it seems like maybe he's back on track, and
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: that's what you wanted, like, get get the work out
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: all the Kingston spring training, give up the home runs
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: then and then get back to Wrigley. You're not in
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: the Arizona heat or you know, the desert and giving
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: up fly balls that just carry out. He is a
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: flyball pitcher, so he is going to give up some
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: home runs. But I think you know, you don't worry
• 17:58
  Speaker 1: about it as much anymore.
• 18:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah. I think back to even kind of when there
• 18:04
  Speaker 2: are times when Kyle Hendricks would struggle and obviously it
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: wasn't great at the end, but you know, life's too
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: short to worry about some of these players, like Jameson
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: Town's probably going to be what he's been for most
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: of his career as long as he's healthy, and that's
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: a solid, reliable mid rotation starter who like Boyd, showed
• 18:25
  Speaker 2: us a lot last October in the playoffs. And as
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: long as these guys make it through healthy, I think
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: it's a huge win for the Cubs. You see what's
• 18:39
  Speaker 2: happened to the Braves rotation. The Reds just had a
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: huge pitching injury. I believe Hunter Green not good for
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: one of the Cub's division rivals. So as long as
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: you can keep sort of moving forward, I think the
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: Cubs will take it and then kind of see where
• 19:05
  Speaker 2: they end up once everyone regathers in Mesa, reassembles in Mesa.
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think it's a, you know, an
• 19:15
  Speaker 1: important stretch. I think this is an important event for
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Major League Baseball. Like I think it's become really important,
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: and I think, like I said before, I appreciate that
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: players are taking it more seriously and making it something fun.
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: We'll see if they come back all that's all. I
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: think that's ultimately what you want, like them to learn
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: some things, play well, come back healthy as simple as that. Patrick,
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: you have some names to watch for us on the
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: when we're getting some I guess when the Japan Japan
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: played today? This is we're on Tuesday, Japan played. But
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: you know we're probably gonna see more of Japan. They're
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: gonna of noise. Who's your guys to watch because we
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: know the Cubs are active in the Japanese market, so
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: it's always worth keeping an eye.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean these names, I'm probably gonna mispronounce them,
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: so I will give myself a little time to warm up,
• 20:17
  Speaker 2: just for a little context of like what showed him
• 20:19
  Speaker 2: Monaga did in the championship game of the last WBC,
• 20:22
  Speaker 2: and it's certainly opened some eyes. And we know that
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: the Cubs have made, you know, Asia a priority, and
• 20:32
  Speaker 2: they've established themselves as one of the teams in Japan
• 20:37
  Speaker 2: that Chicago's a destination for elite Japanese talent. So you know,
• 20:43
  Speaker 2: we are always going to assume that the Cubs are
• 20:48
  Speaker 2: tracking almost every viable potential major league player coming out
• 20:55
  Speaker 2: of NPB. And just two we've kind of heard, you know,
• 21:01
  Speaker 2: not even specific to the WBC, but just like you know, guys,
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: on the way, we're focused on pitching got heiro Ya Miyagi.
• 21:11
  Speaker 2: I probably did a terrible job pronouncing that. And then
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: you know, the next big name coming uh is he
• 21:21
  Speaker 2: WROTEO Takahashi. And with both of these guys, you know,
• 21:26
  Speaker 2: or all of these players, there's kind of a an
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: element of uncertainty of like exactly when they'll come out.
• 21:35
  Speaker 2: They obviously have to stay healthy, they're going to want
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: to have a good platform year. But you know, we
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: weren't talking a lot about Showda Monaga in twenty twenty three,
• 21:45
  Speaker 2: and then he goes into that championship game and makes
• 21:48
  Speaker 2: an impression against that Team USA lineup, and I think
• 21:55
  Speaker 2: it'll be kind of fun to watch, like you know
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: who who pops in the later rounds here, Like who
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: has their moment that becomes sort of the hook when
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: we're writing our next batch of like free agent stories.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: Yeah, just looking quickly at some scouting reports here, Takahashi
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: seems to be the harder thrower. Miyagi is a lefty,
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: but Takahashi is a righty that you know, sits in
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: the mid nineties and is up to gets up to
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: the upper nineties, and he's got a nice splitter, so
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: you know, sounds like we've heard that profile before. High velocity, fastball, good,
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: good splitter. It sounds like he has a curveball as well.
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: So interesting names. Keep on the radar way too early,
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: but you know, we'll see. We'll see what happens and
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: where the Cubs can go and continue to build on
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: that pipeline in Japan and see if they can add
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: some more big names if they have any. You know,
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: we'll see. With free agency looming for sayad show to
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: who knows who? Who's on this team?
• 23:07
  Speaker 2: But whenever baseball returns after the lockout, yeah, I.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: Mean they this wouldn't be the first time they sign
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: a big name out of Japan after a lockout. Yeah, exactly,
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: So we got to keep our eyes and ears open
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: for that one. All right. Uh, that'll do it for
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: this episode. Thanks for listening to everyone. We appreciate your
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: uh you were listening, and make sure to rate, review, subscribe,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: subscribe to the YouTube channel, and subscribe to The Athletic
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: where Patrick and I are on top of all things Cubs.
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: Thanks for listening everyone. Take care,