Latest / Bucco Territory: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast / Pirates Rumor Mill Continues

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Pirates Rumor Mill Continues · Bucco Territory: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

• 0:09
  Speaker 1: What's up, everybody?
• 0:09
  Speaker 2: Welcome back to another episode of Bucco Territory, presented to
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: you by the Foul Territory Network. I'm your host, Noah Hiles,
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: and joining me as always are Jay Hey aka Josh
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: Harrison and Mark aka Platinum Key Fellas. Hope Thanksgiving went
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: well for the both of ye. Happy holiday season, final
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: month of the year.
• 0:32
  Speaker 3: How you doing doing good? Recharged, refreshed, ready to get going?
• 0:38
  Speaker 4: Just shocked it's December already. I snatched up on me.
• 0:41
  Speaker 4: I looked at the calendar. I was like, these really,
• 0:43
  Speaker 4: these years really go back quick after a while.
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: So yeah, you know, like I was talking about that
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: with like, uh, some of my younger cousins a couple
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: months ago, Like I said, like a year feels long
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: for you now because you haven't lived many of them,
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: but as you accumulate more and more, like now that
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: I'm in my thirties, it's like, yeah, like these years
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: go pretty quick.
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: You know, you could start to view life a little differently.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: So but the date, yeah, perspective to start off the show.
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: Something that's also moving quickly is the Major League Baseball
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: off season. We are already into December. The Winter meetings
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: are a week away. We can talk about that on
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: next week's episodes and probably some preview for that later
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: this week. But now, as always, guys, we have to
• 1:31
  Speaker 2: talk about the latest Pirates rumors.
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: I will give the Pirates credit.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: They have kept us busy in our first episodes of
• 1:40
  Speaker 2: this new show. They've always given us something kind of
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: to react to, be it through.
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: Local news, national news.
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: And the latest headlines involve a pair of potential trade
• 1:53
  Speaker 2: targets for the Pirates. The Athletic signaling that the Pirates
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: could be a good fit for Brandon second basement for
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: the Tampa Bay Rays, and then the New York Coast
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: John Hayman reporting that the Pirates are interested and potentially
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: trading for Jeff McNeil, second baseman and also played some
• 2:13
  Speaker 2: outfield for the New York Mets, both guys on the
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: final years of their respective deals. I'm really curious to see,
• 2:22
  Speaker 2: you know, a who makes more sense in your eyes
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: and be like, who's more.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Realistic, So we'll start there. We'll start with Josh. Josh.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: When you look over these two guys, McNeil's a little
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: bit more expensive. Low probably comes with a higher price
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: tag though as far as a trade chip. Who do
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: you think makes more sense for the Pirates and why?
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: I think both of them are two different players To
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: me personally, I think Brandon Loile will make a little
• 2:52
  Speaker 3: bit more sense talking about, you know, some pop from
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: the left side, which is what the Pirates are looking for,
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: somebody man second base, and provide that you know, feared hitter,
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: you know, somewhat that can drive and runs you know early,
• 3:06
  Speaker 3: you know, middle part of the order. But I would
• 3:09
  Speaker 3: think that his price tag via trade would be a
• 3:11
  Speaker 3: little bit more expensive. McNeil, on the other hand, is
• 3:15
  Speaker 3: not going to give you as much power, but you
• 3:18
  Speaker 3: know he's gonna give you professional at bats, something that
• 3:20
  Speaker 3: you're gonna need in a lineup that can you know,
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: link in the lineup. That's gonna be tough at bats. So,
• 3:24
  Speaker 3: as I said, two different players, two different types of
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: you know at bats. Not that Brandon Lawd doesn't give
• 3:30
  Speaker 3: good at bats, but McNeil more of a little grittier
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: player that's gonna, you know, extend that bats do a
• 3:35
  Speaker 3: lot of the more smaller things. But you know, if
• 3:38
  Speaker 3: the Pirates have a few of those that you know
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: that they're have coming up through the rankings or you
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: know already there. I would personally go for brand Allow.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: We're looking for power. You know that that that's a
• 3:51
  Speaker 3: bat that could be potentially in the middle of the order,
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: and that could also be a start to say you
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: add some more power. You don't have to just add
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: one power bat. So to me, I think power is
• 4:00
  Speaker 3: something that they need, especially with offense that struggle.
• 4:04
  Speaker 2: So Mark, I also agree. So even if you don't agree,
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: we have the out numbered Loo is the better option.
• 4:10
  Speaker 4: Oh absolutely.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: You look at what his contract is.
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: I think he's owed eleven and a half million, yep,
• 4:16
  Speaker 2: And I think McNeil's the guy with.
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: The option for a second year. So I guess McNeil
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: comes for.
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: What he's making though, right I think I.
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: Think is making seventeen and a half sixteen and a
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: half around there.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it in our group chat, so we can look
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: that up.
• 4:33
  Speaker 2: But so McNeil's a little bit more expensive, but he
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: comes with a potential another year of control. But we're
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: talking about LAO right now, because I agree. I think
• 4:43
  Speaker 2: he checks a lot more boxes that the pirates kind
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: of need. You talked about the slugging. I think he
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: can give a little bit more versatility in the lineup.
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: You can hit him in the middle third, you can
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: hit him in the top third.
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: I think there's just a lot more potential there.
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: So Mark, I'll ask you, what what's the most you're
• 4:59
  Speaker 2: willing to give up for Brandon Law? You look, I mean,
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: I think the price tags pretty clear on a guy
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: like this, a similar player, similar contract just got moved.
• 5:09
  Speaker 4: Ye this, Yeah, Grayson Rodrigez.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: Just what is what is what is an overpay for
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: the pirates and what is a fair trait in your opinion?
• 5:20
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I think an overpays when you start
• 5:23
  Speaker 4: getting into the young, controllable talent obviously, like I think
• 5:28
  Speaker 4: like Abobba Chandler is way too much for one year
• 5:31
  Speaker 4: of Brandon Law. But as you start moving down that
• 5:35
  Speaker 4: picture list, you know, maybe a Brax and Nashcraft for
• 5:39
  Speaker 4: Mike Burrows. I don't know if that would get the
• 5:42
  Speaker 4: Rays to jump, but they're also trying to shrink their
• 5:44
  Speaker 4: budget this offseason. Controllable starting pitchers that can go right
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: into the middle of their lineup are probably what they're
• 5:50
  Speaker 4: looking for, so it it would be tough to give
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: up up that just for one year of Brandon Lowe,
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: especially when I'm not exactly confident that the Pirates have
• 6:03
  Speaker 4: a full winning team constructed yet to make that one
• 6:07
  Speaker 4: year worth it to go all in, But you got
• 6:11
  Speaker 4: to start somewhere and low had he hit thirty one
• 6:14
  Speaker 4: home runs last year? I think he had thirty nine
• 6:17
  Speaker 4: and twenty twenty two, So it's serious pop for an infielder.
• 6:22
  Speaker 4: His defense not that great to put it nicely, but
• 6:28
  Speaker 4: I mean, if you're hitting thirty home runs, you can
• 6:30
  Speaker 4: get over a little bit of poor defense. So yeah,
• 6:33
  Speaker 4: I mean, I don't know. I guess I throw it
• 6:36
  Speaker 4: back to you, though, What would you say is an
• 6:38
  Speaker 4: overpay for the Pirates?
• 6:40
  Speaker 2: I mean, first things first, if I'm acquiring Britton Law,
• 6:43
  Speaker 2: he's probably gonna.
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: Be my DH, or he's going to D.
• 6:46
  Speaker 2: If he's starting one hundred and sixty games, I'm probably
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: dhing him at.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: Least eighty of them.
• 6:52
  Speaker 2: He's not a full time in fielder anymore on my team.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: I mean, you still have Nick and Zalez that you
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: could probably start against every lefty, and then you just
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: move him over to DH for those games. And I
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: find I find reasons to get him in that DH
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: spot as much.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: As I can.
• 7:10
  Speaker 2: As far as a payment, I don't know, like I'm
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: thinking about it now. You could go the prospect route,
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: right like, I think you could give away like an
• 7:19
  Speaker 2: Antoine Kelly, maybe as Merlin ver Valdez, like one of
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: those guys, maybe two of them together, or maybe you
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: could package together MLB ready talent, like someone like a
• 7:29
  Speaker 2: Johann Oviedo and a Nick Gonzalez together. Is that too much,
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: I mean separate. I don't know how attractive those pieces are,
• 7:36
  Speaker 2: but together maybe it's enough. It's it's it's obviously always
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: in the eye of the values, in the eye of
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: the beholder, right like, yeah, so you gotta you gotta
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: see what the Rays are looking to add, and no
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: one knows that aside from the teams that are doing
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: business with them. But one quick other point I want
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: to make on this trade is I think a trade
• 7:56
  Speaker 2: like this, like, I think the pirates would be wise
• 7:59
  Speaker 2: to add either one of these guys, right Like, I
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: wouldn't mind seeing either one of these guys come in.
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: I think they're at a very fair price point for
• 8:08
  Speaker 2: what they can provide value wise. And even if McNeil
• 8:11
  Speaker 2: brings less slugging, I think he's just he's a tough
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: at bat and he he lengths, he lengthens your lineup,
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: and you know the outfield defense. McNeil isn't probably a
• 8:25
  Speaker 2: great outfield defender, but neither one on this.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: I wouldn't like when you said he could play outfield.
• 8:32
  Speaker 3: I was gonna say, I'd probably be kind of last resort.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, but I mean.
• 8:39
  Speaker 2: Right, like, he's not going to be any worse than
• 8:42
  Speaker 2: some of the other guys they've had playing outfield in
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: these last couple of years. And I know that's not
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: probably the goal, right, but yeah, he can get you
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: twenty games.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: Out in left field if you need him to, or
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: right through it.
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: But I think these are the types of players you
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: acquire after making your first big move. I don't think
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: this is the first domino that should fall. I think
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: you try to find your big free agent first. If
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: that's Gino Suarez, if that's Jorge Polanco, if it's Kyle Schwarbert,
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: and it's not gonna be Kyle Schwarbert, if it's if
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: it's one of the two Japanese third basemen that they've
• 9:14
  Speaker 2: been linked to, Ryan O'Hearn, whoever, make that signing first,
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: and then you have a better idea of where these
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: two could fit in into the line. Yes, I and
• 9:29
  Speaker 2: I think free agency is a way to make a
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: bigger splash to get neither one of these two can
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: be the best player you acquire in the offseason if
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: you're going to be a serious baseball team next year.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: So I think that by signing someone who's a higher
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: caliber talent than either one of those two allows you
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: to kind of figure out, all right, well you move
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: Keller both to.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: These salaries are essentially house money.
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: I think McNeil's making like one million dollar more than
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: mitche Keller, so you're essentially covering your costs there by
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: acquiring other one.
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: But then you can figure out, okay.
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Well, if we acquire a Poloco, then where you might
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: need to just acquire Loud to be like a full
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: time dage, or if you acquire a third basement and
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: then second base is open, vice versa.
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: So that's how I view it. But we can move on.
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: Before we do move on, want to take a quick
• 10:24
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• 11:29
  Speaker 2: All right, so we move on now to our second
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: topic of the day. Another name linked guys that man.
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: If the Pirates could just acquire every single player that
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: they're linked to.
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: I really like their chances.
• 11:41
  Speaker 4: Next year they're going to get a full twenty six
• 11:43
  Speaker 4: man roster. Almost at this point like it.
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: Will be about five hundred million dollars they acquire every
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: single guy that they're attached to.
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: But hey, it's something, right, let's see who they get.
• 11:55
  Speaker 2: But this is a name that some people connected them
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: to and said it would be a good fit. But
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: now that we know, I mean, John Hayman reported that
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: the Pirates have some interest in JT. Real Mutoh, this
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: is an interesting potential signing for a multitude of reasons,
• 12:17
  Speaker 2: and it's obviously gonna come with some clear parallels to
• 12:21
  Speaker 2: the last time this team was good. Josh, you, more
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: than anyone else on this show, would understand the value
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: of what acquiring a veteran all star catcher still well
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: into the productive part of his career can bring to
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: a team.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: Talk about it.
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Is there any similarity to what real Muto could provide
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: to the Pirates to what Russell Martin did in twenty
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: thirteen and twenty fourteen.
• 12:48
  Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, definitely some similarities as far as you mentioned
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: a veteran catcher coming from a you know, big market
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: that's you know, been through a lot of tests, but
• 12:58
  Speaker 3: not only the offensive, you know often is something that's
• 13:02
  Speaker 3: gonna eb and flow. But JT's done enough offensively that
• 13:05
  Speaker 3: you know, that's a bat that can definitely help a lineup.
• 13:07
  Speaker 3: But I look more defensively because when Russ came over defensively,
• 13:12
  Speaker 3: he was the most athletic catcher I've ever played with,
• 13:15
  Speaker 3: and you can see the way that he was set
• 13:17
  Speaker 3: up and make throws, picks and getting a chance to
• 13:20
  Speaker 3: spend some time with JT. JT is very similar. JT
• 13:23
  Speaker 3: is an athletic catcher. He can run, he can throw,
• 13:25
  Speaker 3: but some of the things he does behind the play,
• 13:27
  Speaker 3: you know, just being a veteran catcher is gonna be
• 13:29
  Speaker 3: able to, you know, help man a staff. You know,
• 13:31
  Speaker 3: young and old, you know, I don't even want to
• 13:33
  Speaker 3: say old, but you know, veteran players. But you know,
• 13:36
  Speaker 3: catching is a very important position. And if that's a
• 13:39
  Speaker 3: place that you know, you can get a guy like
• 13:41
  Speaker 3: a JT. Real Muto that you know is gonna be solid,
• 13:44
  Speaker 3: that's gonna play pretty much every day behind the plate.
• 13:47
  Speaker 3: I've seen this dude play banged up, but he's gonna
• 13:49
  Speaker 3: play hard. He shows up every day. That's a lot,
• 13:51
  Speaker 3: especially what I consider the most important position on the field.
• 13:55
  Speaker 3: So I think that would be you know, if they
• 13:57
  Speaker 3: could make that happen. It could definitely be very reminiscent.
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: You know when Russ signed or got traded to, you know, Pittsburgh,
• 14:03
  Speaker 3: that was that was a spark that you know, everybody felt,
• 14:05
  Speaker 3: and you know the pitchers loved it, the position players
• 14:08
  Speaker 3: loved it, and you know the city loved it as well.
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think it could be a little different,
• 14:14
  Speaker 2: right because you have Henry Davis, who is a solid
• 14:18
  Speaker 2: defensive catcher.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: Right, so you have your number two.
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: And I don't think if you're acquiring JT to come here,
• 14:25
  Speaker 2: I don't think you're asking him to take on the
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: work love that Russell Martin was taking on in thirteen
• 14:30
  Speaker 2: and fourteen. I don't think you're expecting him to be
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: squatting back there as frequently. He's certainly going to be
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: your primary catcher, but he's a guy who could probably
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: DH forty fifty games for you if you need them.
• 14:42
  Speaker 2: The other thing too, I think that Martin provided the
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: Pirates aren't going to have I mean the year prior
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: to Martin coming, everyone was running on you guys.
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: And he videos about it, right.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: Yeah, And because you know certain guys on that in
• 14:58
  Speaker 2: that rotation, they did not care how long they took
• 15:01
  Speaker 2: to get to the ball to home plate. They just
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: did their thing, and to their credit, they were good pitchers.
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: They just fixed that problem with Russell Martin. The Pirates
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: don't necessarily have that problem. It's just I think acquiring
• 15:11
  Speaker 2: a player like real Muto is along the same thinking
• 15:15
  Speaker 2: that they did when they hired their new pitching coach.
• 15:18
  Speaker 2: It's this is working right now, but this could take
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: it to the next club.
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: And the real Muto, I mean the cost.
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: ESPN projects him to be a two year, thirty two
• 15:28
  Speaker 2: million dollar deal, so sixteen million dollar aav that should
• 15:31
  Speaker 2: be well in their price range. The only concern for
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: me is that he's thirty five years old. That's that's
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: a big difference than Martin, who came here at thirty
• 15:41
  Speaker 2: and thirty one years old, and to his credit, I mean,
• 15:44
  Speaker 2: Martin left and he played in Toronto after and was
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: super productive there well into his mid thirties. I mean,
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: this is a guy, like you said, Josh, He's taken
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: some bumps and bruises.
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: Throughout the time.
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: And I know I just pointed out that, you know,
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: you might only need him to catch ninety to two
• 16:00
  Speaker 2: hundred games.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: But Mark is thirty five years old. Too old to.
• 16:04
  Speaker 2: Be signing a catcher for sixteen million dollars on a
• 16:07
  Speaker 2: team that's going to have a payroll close to one
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: hundred million all together.
• 16:10
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean that was my biggest apprehension. Last year
• 16:13
  Speaker 4: was the very first time that JT. Real Mudo had
• 16:17
  Speaker 4: an ops plus below one hundred since I think twenty
• 16:21
  Speaker 4: fourteen or twenty fifteen, So he just is now is
• 16:26
  Speaker 4: starting to show a little bit of that decline at
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: the plate. At the same time, though, I mean, what
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: he can bring for this pitching staff, You're that age
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: is just as much of a benefit on the other side,
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: because I mean, the Philly starters were really really good
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: last year and JT. Real Muto played in one hundred
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: and thirty four of those games. So if you want
• 16:51
  Speaker 4: a catcher that has insane pop like Henry Davis, who
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: has a bat like Joey Bart, I mean JT. Real
• 16:59
  Speaker 4: Mudo is just fusing the two together. To me, So
• 17:04
  Speaker 4: it's it would make a lot of sense for the
• 17:06
  Speaker 4: Pirates as far as fit. But I don't know about
• 17:09
  Speaker 4: the financial side, because that is quite the commitment and
• 17:12
  Speaker 4: a risk for a guy who again is thirty four
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: going to be thirty five and a position that isn't
• 17:18
  Speaker 4: exactly the kindest to your body as you age. So
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: it would be a risk. But if that's the best
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: the Pirates can do, I wouldn't hate it.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: I will say that some of that financial commitment is
• 17:30
  Speaker 2: investing in something that they need off the field. I
• 17:37
  Speaker 2: remember talking with Bailey Falter when he was here, and
• 17:42
  Speaker 2: he gave glowing reviews over J.
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: T ro Minuto. Not to say that he was.
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: He wasn't trashing any one like any other piratescheck.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: He wasn't saying like, oh I wish we had this guy.
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: But it was. They played in Philly in twenty four.
• 17:56
  Speaker 4: I was there with them. Three Yeah, I was.
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: I was there. Yeah, that's right, that's right, that's right.
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: Bailey got traded.
• 18:03
  Speaker 4: I forget the yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 18:06
  Speaker 2: Yes, so he was. It's the game we were I
• 18:10
  Speaker 2: was covering. Real Mudo was in Philly in twenty four.
• 18:14
  Speaker 2: It was early, it was still cold, it was April
• 18:17
  Speaker 2: and Philadelphia. Ermudo took a foul ball right off his
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: throwing him and like ninety nine percent of baseball players
• 18:26
  Speaker 2: are probably coming out of that game. But like I
• 18:29
  Speaker 2: remember talking to Bailey after I was like, was there
• 18:31
  Speaker 2: any doubt that JT was coming out? Like what kind
• 18:34
  Speaker 2: of guys he liked? And he was like, dude, there
• 18:36
  Speaker 2: is no chance he was coming out. He was like,
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: and he's like, and you're right, Like every other catcher
• 18:40
  Speaker 2: in baseball would be like, yeah, it's April, it's forty
• 18:46
  Speaker 2: degrees outside. There's no reason for me to play these
• 18:49
  Speaker 2: final three innings or whatever they are. And he was
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: in the lineup the next day too, Like he's tough
• 18:53
  Speaker 2: as nails. He's a guy who's been around a ton
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: of winning baseball. And if you have to pay someone
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: who's a little past their prime a little bit more
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: money than you're comfortable to to bring that type of
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: mentality experience to the clubhouse, I think that that's a
• 19:11
  Speaker 2: I think that's a well worthy investment. And Josh, now
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: that you bring that up, yes, you can probably speak
• 19:16
  Speaker 2: to that a little bit more too, having played with
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: the guy.
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: What does he bring to a clubhouse?
• 19:21
  Speaker 4: Man? He's a gamer? Uh?
• 19:23
  Speaker 3: JT doesn't really. He's a man of very few words.
• 19:26
  Speaker 3: Like if you if you're ever in a clubhouse, like,
• 19:28
  Speaker 3: you know, he's about his business and not that he's
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: like super serious, you know, he's just going about his day.
• 19:34
  Speaker 3: But I definitely respected how he went about his business
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: because he showed up every day, played hard every day.
• 19:42
  Speaker 3: And there's certain things that I will watch, As I
• 19:46
  Speaker 3: said thirty four to thirty five, that y'all keep throwing out.
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: I would be willing to put him up against a
• 19:50
  Speaker 3: lot of catchers in the league as far as well
• 19:52
  Speaker 3: as well as he moves, I've seen him. You know,
• 19:55
  Speaker 3: he understands timing. You talk about Russ and controlling the
• 19:59
  Speaker 3: running game. JT's very good at you know, understanding what
• 20:01
  Speaker 3: pitch might have been called.
• 20:02
  Speaker 4: He was very good.
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: He worked on it in spring training. I was there
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: with him where he would throw long hops to second
• 20:07
  Speaker 3: base on certain balls that he's like, oh, if I
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: can't replace my feet, I know how to turn into
• 20:12
  Speaker 3: an infield to make a quick throw and give you
• 20:13
  Speaker 3: a long hop. If you watch some of his throws
• 20:16
  Speaker 3: on transfers, there are pitches that's like, oh, you know,
• 20:19
  Speaker 3: Aaron Nola, got a curveball, nasty. He's got to sit
• 20:22
  Speaker 3: there and try to catch that strike, you know, to
• 20:24
  Speaker 3: not necessarily still the pitch, but he wants to give
• 20:27
  Speaker 3: the ump a good look. But sometimes his transfer like
• 20:30
  Speaker 3: I can't really replace my feet, but you would see
• 20:31
  Speaker 3: his transfer and his throw. He was more worried about
• 20:34
  Speaker 3: being accurate on certain pitches where it's like you know
• 20:36
  Speaker 3: some catchers like oh, I'm trying to get it there.
• 20:38
  Speaker 3: Where he was a gamer and being behind the plate
• 20:42
  Speaker 3: you got to understand the ins and outs and how
• 20:44
  Speaker 3: to find those moments. And there'd be a lot of
• 20:46
  Speaker 3: players that I saw bang bang a second that he
• 20:48
  Speaker 3: threw out because he wasn't worried about trying to replace
• 20:51
  Speaker 3: his feet. He knew how to be an athlete, and
• 20:54
  Speaker 3: it was very reminiscent of Russ Martin, a little bigger
• 20:58
  Speaker 3: than Russ.
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: But yeah, I think you just sold me on JT.
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: Real Muto.
• 21:02
  Speaker 2: I think that's that's there's a lot of their what
• 21:06
  Speaker 2: you just described and everything, Like I think that that
• 21:08
  Speaker 2: makes a lot of sense.
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: And then also just again hammering it back they have
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: they have.
• 21:13
  Speaker 2: I would assume if they would acquire real Muto that
• 21:16
  Speaker 2: Joey Bart's probably the odd man out here.
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: But you have Davis who's gonna catch skins.
• 21:22
  Speaker 2: Maybe you don't have to have him catch skins anymore,
• 21:24
  Speaker 2: but like he probably still will. And then you have
• 21:27
  Speaker 2: Roe Flores, who's this rookie who's one of your top
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: prospects who can Probably he'll probably see more time at
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: first base next year. He'll be a platoon guy with Spencer.
• 21:37
  Speaker 2: But I think between Davis and Flores, you can get
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: those guys to catch sixty to seventy games at least
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: and keep JT fresh and get him some DH games,
• 21:50
  Speaker 2: get him, you know, some maintenance days, although he probably
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: wouldn't want them, but just I think you can make
• 21:58
  Speaker 2: that work if ages the.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: Only obstacle there.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: From again, from what you just said, Josh, and from
• 22:05
  Speaker 2: what I know about the guy, like it seems like
• 22:07
  Speaker 2: he takes really good care of his body, you can
• 22:11
  Speaker 2: make that last, especially when you have young catching depth
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: behind him that can fill in on a getaway day,
• 22:16
  Speaker 2: that can fill in in your Sunday lineup, that will
• 22:19
  Speaker 2: will be in the lineup when Paul's pitching.
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: I think that that gives a lot to it, to desire, so.
• 22:26
  Speaker 3: You have to if they're serious about it, you know,
• 22:30
  Speaker 3: possibly talking to him it wouldn't be a bad move.
• 22:34
  Speaker 2: If they're serious about it. That kind of ties into
• 22:38
  Speaker 2: pretty much everything we talked about. Yeah, yeah, right, right,
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: So Mark, anything final to add here before we move on.
• 22:46
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, I just think you guys kind of
• 22:49
  Speaker 4: alluded to it a few times, but this isn't your
• 22:51
  Speaker 4: typical catcher. He's always probably been one of the most
• 22:55
  Speaker 4: athletic catchers in the league, and so I think the
• 22:58
  Speaker 4: fact that he is older, that's kind of negated by
• 23:01
  Speaker 4: the fact that he does put in so much work
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: behind the scenes with his body and everything like that.
• 23:06
  Speaker 4: So I would love it. It would be a great
• 23:09
  Speaker 4: first Dominode fall.
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: I wouldn't sign him for any longer than two years.
• 23:13
  Speaker 4: Yeah, oh gotch.
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: I would do two years and then maybe have a
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: third year option.
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: But like I think, I mean, if they signed Russell
• 23:19
  Speaker 2: Martin for two years, I think two years.
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: Yeah, totally appropriate. Third and final topic of the day
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: is Winner Winner.
• 23:28
  Speaker 2: We have our first winner in our annual or not annual, our.
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: Week by week giveaway.
• 23:34
  Speaker 2: As we push to one thousand subs, want to remind
• 23:37
  Speaker 2: everyone to continue subscribing to Bucco Territory. Hit that subscribe
• 23:42
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• 23:44
  Speaker 2: get to one thousand, and to remind everyone there's gonna
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: be a new prize drawing every week. This week's prize
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: drawing is two free Pirates tickets to any game that
• 23:53
  Speaker 2: is not a Pall Skiing's bubblehead giveaway or the home opener,
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: and we're gonna announce that winter soon. But again for mind,
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: everyone subscribe to the YouTube channel. If you've already subscribed,
• 24:04
  Speaker 2: you can also enter in on this. Just send us
• 24:06
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• 24:10
  Speaker 2: posts on x at Bucco Territory so we can make
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: sure you're you're in the entry pool.
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: And once you're.
• 24:17
  Speaker 2: Entered, you're in it for all the weeks leading up
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: for the rest of the year. We're gonna do a
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: giveaway I think from between what Now and Christmas. Yeah,
• 24:26
  Speaker 2: so we've got three more weeks worth of giveaways to go, so,
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: so three more prizes. This first week's prize though, two
• 24:34
  Speaker 2: free tickets to a pirate game of your choice, and
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: the winner is Adam Martz. Congratulations to Adam Marks. We
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: want our first winner. Thank you so much for subscribing.
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: Adam.
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: We will be treating you to a Pirate game of
• 24:48
  Speaker 2: your choice for the twenty twenty sixth season. There you
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: will get to watch j T Real, Muto, Brandon Lao
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: Kyle Schwerberg lead the Pittsburgh Pirrates to an undefeated a
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: hundred sixty two and oh season, well, Josh Harrison's coming
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: out of retirement too, He's gonna play it.
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, you could play third day, so it'll be good to.
• 25:07
  Speaker 4: Go little bit everywhere.
• 25:08
  Speaker 3: But picture or no catcher, I'll take that back.
• 25:11
  Speaker 2: Real talk, if we brought you out of retirement, now,
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: do you think you could hit over two hundred easily?
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: You think you can hit over too fifty?
• 25:20
  Speaker 3: Depends how many games I'm playing with constant reps. Yes,
• 25:23
  Speaker 3: I mean I never hit on it to given every day.
• 25:27
  Speaker 3: I won't even say every given consistent playing time, I'm
• 25:29
  Speaker 3: hitting two fifty.
• 25:31
  Speaker 2: What do you think the pitching has gotten a lot
• 25:33
  Speaker 2: better since you? I mean you haven't been out of
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: the game that long, I guess, so.
• 25:38
  Speaker 3: I just think hidden's getting worse.
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: Okay, I think it has gotten worse. Do you think
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: you could hit over to seventy?
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: If I'm playing every day and I'm back in shape,
• 25:49
  Speaker 3: I'm hitting to seventy. I ain't gonna say.
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: I hate it. I love it.
• 25:53
  Speaker 4: I love it.
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: I love it all right. It's a good one career hitter.
• 25:57
  Speaker 3: I think so.
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that was on the graphic.
• 26:00
  Speaker 4: Yeah, maybe a little bit better than mine.
• 26:02
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Mark, I hit three forty my senior high school.
• 26:06
  Speaker 4: I want that on my graphic next week. You got it?
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: Yeah, Josh, what'd you hit your senior year high school?
• 26:12
  Speaker 5: Oh?
• 26:12
  Speaker 3: God, I think like five something.
• 26:15
  Speaker 4: I was gonna say they start with a five probably.
• 26:17
  Speaker 3: Yeah, it was either like four seventy or five something like,
• 26:20
  Speaker 3: I don't know.
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: I was gonna say, Yeah, three forty sounds really good
• 26:22
  Speaker 2: when you until you realize a good biding average in
• 26:25
  Speaker 2: high school.
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah, better have a four in front of it. So yeah, though,
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: he was solid. Yeah, it was a solid whatever. Yeah,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: all right, he's Platinam aka Mark.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: He's Josh Harris today, kajy, I'm Noah Jiles. Thank you
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: for tuning into another episode of Bucco Territory presented by
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: the Bowel Territory Network. Subscribe, subscribe, subscribe, We'll see you
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: next week or we'll see.
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: You later this week.
• 26:50
  Speaker 4: Yeah, later see you Thursday.
• 26:52
  Speaker 3: See Thursday. Congrats again, Adam