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Cubs mailbag: What’s the payroll moving forward? · North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Welcome into North Side Territory Foul Territory Networks Cubs podcast.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: I'm Hot Day Sharma with my co host Patrick Muni.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: We are your Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic Patrick.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: It is a mail bag episode. We got plenty of
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: questions here. Let's just kick it right off and get
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: right into the topic that We've got a couple of
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: questions on different ways of approaching this. I guess I
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: thought was the most straightforward and kind of something we've
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: been touching on for a while. Right Like my fear
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Cubs win division with this club and Rickets keeps payroll
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: same or lower in future years discussed from Brad Lencer. I, Look,
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: this is the payroll. It's around two hundred and ten,
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: two hundred and fifteen. That's that's what the payroll is.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: Are they willing to make exceptions, Yes, but it's for
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: shorter term deals for guys that are difference makers or
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: potential difference makers. It's the type of stuff where you
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: need approval from ownership to make a deal, right Like,
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: it's not like Jed had pre range to add thirty
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: million more to the to the payroll that you needed approval.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: They can't add right now significant money. And when I
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: say significant money, I'm not saying twenty five to thirty million.
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: I think like under like five to ten million would
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: be stretching the budget right now.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean props to Brad and for you side
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: for making this our leadoff question. And I know our
• 1:41
  Speaker 2: editors always get frustrated, you know if we write like
• 1:44
  Speaker 2: eight paragraphs and then like put the news at the bottom,
• 1:47
  Speaker 2: like this is the question, right that's going to define.
• 1:50
  Speaker 3: This year in future years. I think there's.
• 1:56
  Speaker 2: So much going on in the world that I don't
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: know how it'd use the word fear with this, but
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: I would say we got to see what happens in
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: terms of like if this team goes out and performs
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: and like host multiple playoff rounds and like draws over
• 2:18
  Speaker 2: three million fans, they that stuff matters, right, Like the
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: cups do like put some of that, they say, all
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: the whatever you know back into the team, Like that
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: performance on the field does help the resources they get,
• 2:35
  Speaker 2: you know, to do stuff off the field, to bring
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: in players and things like that. I have no idea
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: what's gonna happen with like the you know what had
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: been the regional sports network model like there's a ton
• 2:49
  Speaker 2: of uncertainty with that. There's, as we've discussed before, labor
• 2:55
  Speaker 2: deal that's gonna expire after twenty twenty six, and they're
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: like macro things happening that are you know, going to
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: impact this stuff in a huge way.
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: I guess like.
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: Would also say, maybe this has already kind of happened, right,
• 3:13
  Speaker 2: Like the Cubs didn't go to the World Series a
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: couple of years ago, but the Diamondbacks did with what
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: eighty four wins in a lower payroll, So it does
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: seem like they've already kind of moving in this direction.
• 3:25
  Speaker 3: So I guess if you're a Cups.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Fan, you might as well enjoy a division winning season
• 3:32
  Speaker 2: because it's sort of happening no matter what. And I
• 3:36
  Speaker 2: think you've kind of heard this side, right, that's kind
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: of that is like Brad does hit on like a
• 3:41
  Speaker 2: fear though, right, Like within yeah, the organization of like,
• 3:44
  Speaker 2: well they get a little too good at some of
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: the Milwaukee Guardians stuff.
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's a double edged sword, right if
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: if they're losing, Ricketts isn't going to go, say, go
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: spend more money he had like we he has no
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: interest in doing that. If they if they don't win
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: the division. He's not going to say that. He's always
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: said the solution isn't spending more money. He's been pretty
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: open about that. He's he's told us, you know, money
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: isn't how you build a winning team.
• 4:13
  Speaker 4: Uh.
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: I just disagree with the philosophy that that you're a
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: big market team, like that's your advantage, right like all
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: the other teams in the division.
• 4:20
  Speaker 4: You're in a weaker division.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: So I think that actually works against the Cubs in
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: some sense because if they were in the NL East
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: or or NL West, either one of the NL divisions,
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: really like there's these powerhouse teams that just spend aggressively,
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: they'd be third in each division, right, maybe fourth in
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: in the West.
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: Uh.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: They just did be fourth in the East too because
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: of the Phillies and the Braves spend more cheese. Yeah,
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: they'd be like it's just they'd be in a different category.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: They're they're in the wrong division to really say like, oh,
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: we can't compete financially. But the whole point of being
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: a big market team is like the way the CBA
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: is built, it's to your advantage to spend more. You
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: really have to spend aggressively, because yes, it's great to
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: build through the through the draft and develop talent and
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: find and mind the international free agency and find the
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: right players, but you don't get those extra draft picks,
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: like the way the CBA is built, like, you don't
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: get these little perks that the small market teams do.
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: And they're in a division where they their competition all
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: get those perks and they don't. So how do you,
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: how do you what's your advantage? It's the CBA is
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: built for your advantage to be spend, spend big. And
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: it kind of works against them that they're in this
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: division because they it looks like they spend big because
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: they spend more than than their direct competition in the division.
• 5:43
  Speaker 4: And I think, like when he says.
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: Keep the payroll same or lower in future years, yes,
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: that is that is kind of the fear right now
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: that this is what happens. They're going to be hovering
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: around this number next year as well and and beyond,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: like we'll see what the CBA brings. I don't know
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: what the c what the CBA changes. I don't think
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: it's going to lead to more spending for the Cubs.
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: I think Tom Ricketts likes where they're at. I don't think.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: I think there are random players here and there they
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: will spend a little bit more for and then push
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: the you know, push to a higher level. But they're
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: you know, when when you do something like that, it
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: can't be an eight or ten year deal because now
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: you're talking about like you can't fill other spots on
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: the roster because of constraints, and eventually he's going to
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: want to get back down to two, ten or whatever
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: the number may be in future years. It won't be
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: like this, this outsized number where you're you know, using
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: your finances as a cudgel against against smaller market teams.
• 6:48
  Speaker 1: They like, we're going to like people get annoyed that
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: we bring this up. But they they're a major market team.
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: They're big market media team. They're not a big market
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: money team anymore.
• 7:00
  Speaker 4: They're just not.
• 7:02
  Speaker 3: Yeah. I think that's why we expect Kyle Tucker to.
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: Last one season with the Cubs and explore free agency
• 7:11
  Speaker 2: and likely sign a deal make a deal with another team.
• 7:17
  Speaker 2: I guess if you're looking for any sort of like,
• 7:21
  Speaker 2: I don't know, hope in this regard, it would be
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: what happened in twenty fifteen when that team kind of
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: like just caught fire and made it to the NLCS,
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: and that off season, you know, THEO and some Jed
• 7:37
  Speaker 2: and some people on the business side essentially combined two
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: off seasons into one.
• 7:41
  Speaker 3: And that they you know, accelerated the process.
• 7:44
  Speaker 2: And that was in part due to the team's performance
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: on the field, kind of the revenue that that came in.
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: The projections that were kind of updated with like, Wow,
• 7:55
  Speaker 2: this is like a pretty amazing core of talent that
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: has been assembled, so not out of the realm of possibility,
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: but I think everything he set tout of a spot on,
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: Like that's kind of the the expectations at this point.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll see if things change, right, Like, we don't
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: want to set that in stone, but there's a positive can.
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: Always shin, right, Like I think we've learned that covering
• 8:19
  Speaker 2: this team for a long time of like you have
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: to remain open to like different possibilities or new stuff happening.
• 8:26
  Speaker 3: You never quite know.
• 8:27
  Speaker 2: But at this moment in March before they leave for Tokyo,
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: like that is kind of the landscape that they're dealing with,
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: as frustrating as that is for for Cubs fans.
• 8:38
  Speaker 4: So there's two questions here.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: But I'm going to go with this question and we
• 8:42
  Speaker 1: can bring up the second part this first question, which
• 8:45
  Speaker 1: spring training results means something and which don't. Gauge Workman,
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: Vidal Bruhan Ben Calls are raking while Kyle Tucker and
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Saya Suzuki are struggling. Does any of this mean anything?
• 8:56
  Speaker 1: That's from m J. Mcklewee uh, look at Kyle Tucker
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: and say Suzuki struggling doesn't mean anything to me. It
• 9:03
  Speaker 1: just doesn't. I don't care, Like, I just don't. Are
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: they healthy, are they getting their work in? Do they
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: feel good? Do they you know? Are they mentally prepared?
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: Are they physically prepared? I just don't care. What Workman
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: Bruhan Coyle's means is they're on the fringes of the
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: roster and they're fighting for spots. They're all on the
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: forty man. They need to perform. We don't know what
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: they can do. They need to perform to open some
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: eyes on the coaching staff, on you know, in the
• 9:34
  Speaker 1: front office. And sometimes it doesn't have to be pure results, right.
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: If let's just say gauge workmen. If Gauge Workmen was
• 9:42
  Speaker 1: hitting line drives after line drive and they were all
• 9:44
  Speaker 1: getting caught. We may not notice it as much, right,
• 9:47
  Speaker 1: we may see like a one to fifty batting average
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: and not care. A council would notice. Jed Hoyer would notice.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: People would notice, and they'd take note of it. Right, Obviously,
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: it's much better that he's sending a few over the
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: fence and that he's he's having a good spring. You know,
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: That's how I look at spring. I try, I do.
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: I will say this. I do get like it. I
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: lose every year. I have to remind myself don't get
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: carried away with it, But then I do. I still do, Like,
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: how how do I not notice that Breuhan and Workman, that.
• 10:19
  Speaker 4: These guys are putting up good numbers?
• 10:20
  Speaker 1: But I'm not even paying attention to which pitcher they're
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: facing half the time. And that's bad, Like, you can't
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: you know, there's so much going on and guys, even
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: the veterans, are working on stuff.
• 10:30
  Speaker 3: Yeah, if I remember correctly, it was it last year.
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: I mean, Saya Suzuki was crushing the ball in Arizona
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: and everyone's like, oh, this could be a monster year.
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: And then he heard his oblique in spring training or
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: shortly after spring training, the years are sort of blending together.
• 10:45
  Speaker 3: But has done that before me.
• 10:46
  Speaker 2: They crushed it in all huge year and then has
• 10:49
  Speaker 2: has a setback, and you know, obviously he's a really
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: good major league hitter. His numbers at the end of
• 10:54
  Speaker 2: the year, you know, wind up, you know, in a
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: pretty good place. It's just like, you know, hard to
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: to get upset or worked up about any of this.
• 11:04
  Speaker 2: I will say, like the first grouping of players there,
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: like I don't know, if they totally flopped spring training
• 11:12
  Speaker 2: will probably a.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: Pretty easy decision or an easier decision.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: And also, like like you say, someone's always watching, so
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: whether it's the scouts that either behind home plate or
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: whether it's the people who'll be on the you know,
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: the second floor of the performance center there and you're
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: going through meetings reviewing their rosters like that stuff. Those
• 11:36
  Speaker 2: are data points that don't go away. So maybe in
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: April or May whenever the time is, and there will
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: be that reference point for a group of guys that
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: the Cubs did not have a ton of familiarity with
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: before the spring, and making a good impression certainly matters.
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: Yeah, And the other thing I bring up is when
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: it comes to pictures. The stuff matters, right, Like if
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: a guy is already throwing ninety seven ninety eight and
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: you know normally sits ninety six, that's eye opening. If
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: a guy has a new pitch and it's just nasty.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: If a guy if a guy's pitches are just crisp
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: at this point and you're like, whoa, he's ready for
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: the season already. Those types of things people notice, you know,
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: like when a guy loses fifteen pounds and just looks like, Okay,
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: this guy's ready for the season. All those little things right,
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: there's it's less about results for some of these things.
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: And how do how do they look at the plate?
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: How do they look on the mound? Like what's how's
• 12:35
  Speaker 1: the ball coming out of their hand? Type stuff? You know,
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: the and we can measure all that now so well
• 12:40
  Speaker 1: that that you can see this stuff and it's like
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: you take it. Like like with Brad Keller, I got
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: texts about him like he looks great in bullpens.
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: We'll see how it looks on the mound. Now, he
• 12:51
  Speaker 4: looks great on the mound.
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: And then it's like, okay, if he likely makes the team,
• 12:56
  Speaker 1: which seems like it's leaning towards it. You know, then,
• 12:59
  Speaker 1: how does it look in the regular season? How deep
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: into the season does he keep this stuff? You know
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: that you keep piling on the questions. Nothing's decided. I
• 13:06
  Speaker 1: thought this was a good follow up to that. What
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: are the chances the Cubs work out of trade with
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: Detroit to keep Workman and make him optionable? That's from
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: Andrew Leonard.
• 13:15
  Speaker 4: I don't know the chances. I'm not sure if you've
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: heard anything.
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: I do think it's interesting because I do kind of
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: like I mean, he's a good defender and he's a
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: left handed guy, he's got His strikeouts are an issue,
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: at least from what I'm not looking at his numbers
• 13:31
  Speaker 1: right now, but from what I remember, that's that's the
• 13:33
  Speaker 1: hole in his game. So yeah, you prefer him to
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: be optionable. Yeah, yeah, the strikeouts are an issue. Yes,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: that's that's what it is. So I don't know. I
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: don't know what the likelihood is.
• 13:50
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I have it's a good question, Andrew. I have
• 13:53
  Speaker 3: not dug into that yet.
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: I do think it's interesting though, that the Detroit front
• 13:59
  Speaker 2: office is run by a lot of X Cubs, So
• 14:02
  Speaker 2: I don't know if that makes it easier or harder
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: to do a deal when you have Scott Harris and
• 14:07
  Speaker 2: Jeff Greenberg, you know who know Jed extremely well, they
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: know what he wants kind of would and Shane Ferrer
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: Shane Ferrell as well. I mean that you've got a
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: lot of X cubs over there. This is something that
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: you know, four years at the athletic you will be
• 14:29
  Speaker 2: digging into over the next couple of days of like
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: what what's realistic with workmen here? But I think we
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: both kind of get the sense that cubs obviously like
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: the player, That's why I took him in the rule five.
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: But I think he's he's made. It's about as good
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: as an impression as you probably could under.
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: Under the circumstances.
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: Like I don't think it'd be kind of unrealistic expect
• 14:51
  Speaker 2: him to like do more at this point, just like he's.
• 14:53
  Speaker 3: Firmly put himself on the radar.
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: He's impressed counsel with his defense, which, as we've discussed
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: Matt and he's got kind of a nice a nice
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: profile that suggests he could be useful down the line.
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: I don't know if he's like an everyday third basement
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: for a playoff contender, which is what the Cups fancy themselves,
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: so you know, and I'm not that familiar with Detroit's
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: farm system in terms of like what they need or
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: what would make sense for them, But obviously I would
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: think those sorts of conversations are happening, or at least
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: Jen and Scott Harris texting each other, you know, messing
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: with each other towards the X bring.
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: Where do you see Brown and Wicks by the end
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: of spring training rotation Bullpen or Iowa?
• 15:39
  Speaker 4: That's Strand thirty four. What do you think, Patrick?
• 15:43
  Speaker 3: I get what Strand?
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Why Strand would lump those two together because they're sort
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: of young pictures, but like in my mind they're very different.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: Of like Wix is going to be in the Iowa rotation,
• 15:56
  Speaker 2: I would be shocked, you know, if he's you know,
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: pitching in Tokyo or something like that, or even when
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: they come back and resume the regular season in Arizona.
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: Like Ben Brown was awesome when he was on the
• 16:10
  Speaker 2: mound and then got injured and hasn't pitched for a
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: long time, like Wicks had injuries, but was has not
• 16:18
  Speaker 2: flashed the same sort of stuff that Brown did. Now
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: Wis has a first round pedigree. He really quitted himself
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: well in twenty twenty three, Like has a bright future,
• 16:32
  Speaker 2: no doubt, and I think he's made a lot of
• 16:35
  Speaker 2: improvements in that regard. But in terms of like right
• 16:38
  Speaker 2: now stuff and impact, don't you see Ben Brown in
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: kind of a different bucket at this point?
• 16:45
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Like I would not see Wix coming out of
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: the bullpen. I think he's the type of guy that's like,
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: I think he's willing to do whatever is needed and
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: asked of him. But I think you don't open the
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: season with him in the bullpen. It's either rotation or
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: Iowa rotation. I think it's I agree with you, it's
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: just like it I feel like almost certain that he's
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: going to be opening the season unless there's other injuries
• 17:08
  Speaker 1: that are popping up, that he's opening the season in
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: the Iowa rotation.
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: I'll say this about Wicks.
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: I liked how he progressed over the course of the season.
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: I think the injuries taught him something he needs to
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: change the way he goes about business as far as
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: and this is not this is not a criticism of
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: him as how he it's something that all young players
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: need to learn. It's why why PCA kind of stood
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: out to me about like his work ethic and routine.
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: You need to develop a routine, you need to understand
• 17:37
  Speaker 1: what that means, and you need to stick to it.
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: It's something a lot of young players just don't understand,
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: and like you like, the time you spend working on
• 17:46
  Speaker 1: your body is really important, especially as a starter in
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: between those starts, is almost as important as you know,
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: the couple hours.
• 17:54
  Speaker 4: Around the mound during the game.
• 17:55
  Speaker 1: It's just it's so essential that you get the right
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: routine and you building your body properly. He came into
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: camp looking with a different bill. He looks like a
• 18:06
  Speaker 1: different guy. And there's a couple guys that look like that.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: Even Tyne, who who is a hard worker, I feel like,
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: looks a little different to me. So these these guys,
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: sometimes it clicks. Sometimes you figure it out. Sometimes you realize, oh,
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: I need to do this, or you see you get
• 18:23
  Speaker 1: up to the major leagues, you're there for a year
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: and then your eyes are open. You're like, Oh, that's
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: what they're doing to be so good.
• 18:30
  Speaker 4: That's how they have longevity.
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: That's how they last for thirty starts, right, And I
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: think that's he's figured that part out and made some
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: changes to how he just goes about everything. It sounds like,
• 18:42
  Speaker 1: and that has to that has to help that you
• 18:45
  Speaker 1: hope that helps Brown.
• 18:46
  Speaker 4: I don't know where he's.
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Going to be, to be honest, like, I think they
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: would like to keep him as a starter and stretch
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: him out, like if Colin Ray is going to open
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: the season as the starter, as a fifth starter, maybe
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: he starts in Iowa. But he's so talented, like he's
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: going to make a lot of starts with his team
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: and he's going to get a lot of innings. I think,
• 19:04
  Speaker 1: like in some role, I just don't I don't have
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: a good feel about how it ends up to start
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: the season that you know, we'll start asking those questions
• 19:12
  Speaker 1: over the next couple of days, I think, and maybe
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: you'll maybe you'll hear get some clarity in the coming
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: days with that.
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: But that's, you know, that's I think.
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: Just how we we see it right now. I do
• 19:24
  Speaker 1: think Brown's going to be really good. I like him
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: a lot, and he has the mental aspect of it.
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: I like listening to how he talks about the game,
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: how he sees the game. I think it helps him
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: kind of stay focused and go out there and dominate
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: James Trianto's question, how does Torianto's compare to Nico. It's
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: easy to see similarities, but once Nico is gone, is
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: it as simple as sliding Toronto's in or does he
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: not project as favorably? Listen to similar offensive profiles? Really
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: hard to just say that you're going to have the
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: type of success that Nico Horner has. Nick Horner's slightly
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: above average offensive player, not a ton of power, no strikeouts,
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: not a ton of walks, and you know, singles and
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: doubles with some speed on the bases and some stolen bases.
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: Those are all similar things. I'd say to Toronto's with
• 20:19
  Speaker 1: a little because he's younger and he's still figuring things out.
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: You know, you could maybe see some power projection there,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: a little more power projection. But you're right, similar offensive profiles.
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: Where the comparison stop is on defense, Like Nico Horner
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: is an elite defensive second basement.
• 20:35
  Speaker 4: Not good.
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: He's an elite defensive second basement Toronto's. We don't know
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: where he plays. I have not heard great things about
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: his defense like I have heard from some people like
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: he could turn into a really good second basement. I
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: just I'm not sure about that, And I don't think
• 20:55
  Speaker 1: it's as simple as him sliding into second base.
• 20:57
  Speaker 4: If Nico is gone and what would be.
• 21:00
  Speaker 1: Two years or if he's traded or whatever, I wouldn't
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: and I wouldn't be shocked if Toronto's is traded at
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: the deadline or something like that.
• 21:11
  Speaker 3: I was just gonna say that.
• 21:12
  Speaker 2: I think Treanto's is kind of a name we've heard
• 21:15
  Speaker 2: in the off season or a name that sort of
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: circled as really interesting prospect. Not sure exactly how he
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: fits good upside, So maybe at the deadline that's a
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: piece that you're not like looking to trade or want
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: to trade, but it may be kind of the path
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: of least resistance. And I'm with you on the defensive side,
• 21:40
  Speaker 2: like Nico was a shortstop at Stanford, just a fantastic
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: athleticism up the middle. He proved that he can be
• 21:51
  Speaker 2: a very capable, high level major league shortstop. I think
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: Trianto's may have, to your point, a little more offensive upside.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: I mean I remember thinking or hearing when they drafted him,
• 22:04
  Speaker 2: like this is a guy who sort of, like I guess,
• 22:09
  Speaker 2: reclassified so that he could graduate high school early.
• 22:12
  Speaker 3: He's going to go to UNC the Cubs made him
• 22:14
  Speaker 3: a good offer.
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: Like kin of a young guy who the Cubs saw
• 22:20
  Speaker 2: as like, this is what the best college hitters in
• 22:23
  Speaker 2: the draft looked like in high school.
• 22:25
  Speaker 3: That was kind of how they conceptualized it. And the
• 22:27
  Speaker 3: comps were.
• 22:30
  Speaker 2: You know, on a very very high end, and partially
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: because of where Trianto screw up in the Atlantic region
• 22:37
  Speaker 2: was like David Wright, you know, and David Wright was
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: a fantastic player in New York. Not saying Tramps is
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: gonna be that, but like the Cub's definitely like drafted
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: him because they thought he had a really high offensive
• 22:50
  Speaker 2: ceiling and we'll just kind of have to see where
• 22:53
  Speaker 2: that goes. I think Toronto's has done everything you could
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: have asked, right, Like, he's made very nice progress throughout
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: the system. He is still super young. He's barely scratched
• 23:04
  Speaker 2: the surface on this. Whereas Nico what it was on
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: his parents' couch, right and they called them up. Yeah, makers,
• 23:12
  Speaker 2: Like Nico was pretty pretty polished. He had that college experience.
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: He had a game that you know, they could kind
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: of plug and play with.
• 23:21
  Speaker 3: So we'll see good, good question.
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: I'm very curious to you kind of see where Treandas'
• 23:27
  Speaker 2: career goes okay.
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: Final question is from W Collins Uh, and this is
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: look at the names. I don't think matter as much here.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: But let's say the front office roster is a guy
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: like Brad Keller and uses the option of say Eli Morgan.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: Will the front office have short patients with him if
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: he doesn't perform? I think here's here's the question, right,
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: you have a bullpen and you have guys that aren't
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: optionable in the list, would be like Ryan Brazier, Tyson Miller,
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: you know it, Kegan Thompson if he makes a team,
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: Caleb Fielbar, you know. Think of those types of players, right,
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: how short is the leash?
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: Right?
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: And who who has the short leash? And how quickly
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: will they move?
• 24:12
  Speaker 4: Right?
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: I think this is the point of having depth. You
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: have to be aggressive at times, but you want to
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: keep that depth.
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: It's like this, You're like weighing the two.
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: Sides, right, Like, how do I decide which is more
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: important the depth or the results?
• 24:25
  Speaker 4: Right?
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: I think the results went out ninety nine percent of
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: the time, but you still want the depth.
• 24:30
  Speaker 4: How do you kind of see that? Patrick?
• 24:33
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I think a name not in this.
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: I think is interesting as Tyson Miller, who you know,
• 24:38
  Speaker 2: Megan mount Tomorrow had asked about him the other day
• 24:41
  Speaker 2: and wrote it up in the Chicago Tribune, and it
• 24:43
  Speaker 2: was kind of a you know, you know, I just
• 24:46
  Speaker 2: look at the eer like you look at Okay, who
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: is he facing? You know, how does the stuff look?
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: You know, whatever defensive plays behind for any for any pitcher,
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: And so you also weigh that, I Samller was really
• 25:01
  Speaker 2: really good last year, but he also had bounced around,
• 25:04
  Speaker 2: you know, several different organizations after being originally drafted by
• 25:08
  Speaker 2: the Cubs, and the Cups said all the time, you know,
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: reliever performances are very volatile. So I think, you know,
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: we know that Counsel and Jed are obsessed with like
• 25:25
  Speaker 2: depth and having options and keeping pictures fresh and kind
• 25:28
  Speaker 2: of moving those things along.
• 25:32
  Speaker 3: This is not quite was it.
• 25:36
  Speaker 2: Joe Maddens last year where like a couple of weeks
• 25:38
  Speaker 2: and they just totally like it.
• 25:40
  Speaker 3: Was almost like a hockey line change, like with their
• 25:42
  Speaker 3: bullpen you were at or something like that.
• 25:44
  Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and I felt like desperate. This I think
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: is gonna be a little different. But at a certain
• 25:52
  Speaker 2: point there is no doubt that you know, they're gonna
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: have to see see results. But I'm also thinking too
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: of you know you, I think you had written this before,
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: of like the idea sometimes as a manager you have
• 26:06
  Speaker 2: to know how to lose a game, and that council
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: you know, is maybe willing to, you know, make certain
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: concessions and not chase every single win, right like when
• 26:17
  Speaker 2: you're down three or four and it's late against a
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: good team and their bullpen set up, like maybe you
• 26:23
  Speaker 2: think about the one twenty start the next day more
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: than trying to go all out, you know, in the
• 26:29
  Speaker 2: eighth and ninth innings. So it will be a fascinating
• 26:34
  Speaker 2: like push and pull with you know, their.
• 26:38
  Speaker 3: Idea of depth and also this pressure they got to
• 26:41
  Speaker 3: win this year.
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no, I I do think I think ultimately
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: there will be some aggression with these moves, right that
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: They're going to be very aware, And I agree, I
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: think Tyson Miller is a name to keep an eye on.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: So volatile, right believers are just solid until he was
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: so dominant for the Cubs, but literally had been dfaid.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: Uh that's why they got him, like you know it,
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: So who knows? Who knows how good these guys can be?
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: Options are so important right now, Like that's how you
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: survive in this league. It's it's it hurts and it helps,
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: right It hurts the player to have options because they
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: get sent to the miners and make less money and
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: live the minor league life. But they you know, but
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: you don't get dfaid, like you're you're first on the
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: cutting block, like you're you're going to like those names
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: that I mentioned are the names that we're gonna have
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: to keep an eye on if there if if Ryan
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: Brazier doesn't look good, if Tyson Miller doesn't look good
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: for the first month, like we're going to be talking
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: about them, do they have to make a move? Do
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: they have to get rid of one of these guys?
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: And and uh and and call up whoever is lighting
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: it up in Triple A at the time.
• 27:49
  Speaker 4: So it's it. You know, you don't love talking.
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: About it and and like none of these guys want
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: to think about those things, but it's it's the reality
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: when you're living the life in the bullpen.
• 27:59
  Speaker 4: And these teams are just so aggressive with it.
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: Now that the teams that know what they're doing and
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: have some depth in the minors, and you know, the
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: Cubs have built some depth they actually have. For you know,
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: it's been the last couple of years. It's slowly percolating
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: up and we're starting to see those results. Porter Hodges won.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: I think, you know, there's other guys. I'm curious about
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: Jack Neely and how how he you know, the fastball
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: isn't as a as deceptive I guess would be the word,
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: but he's got the velocity and he's got a slider.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: Those are the types of guys, Daniel Palentia. Those are
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: the types of guys that like have stuff and like
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: something clicks and they figure it out and suddenly you're
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: talking about them as big parts of the bullpen in
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: the middle of June or something like that. Right, So
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: we'll see what happens. I think that's I like that
• 28:45
  Speaker 1: question in the sense like, yes, you're you're onto something.
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: They're they're going to be that. I don't know if
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: it's short patience as much as like being hyper aware
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: of like it's time to make a move. We've got
• 28:58
  Speaker 1: to be a little aggressive here type thing. Like you said,
• 29:00
  Speaker 1: it's playoffs or bust. It's a really important year. While
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: you balance like you'll take a loss early to win
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: two more later. I think there's also like you've got
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: to be aggressive with moves at times. All right, always
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: appreciate the questions. Mail bags are always fun. Thanks so
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: much for sending in your questions. Make sure to rate,
• 29:20
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• 29:24
  Speaker 1: The Athletic, where Patrick and I are on top of
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: all things cubs. We appreciate all of you listening and reading.
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: Thanks for everything, guys, Take care