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Why the Cubs are targeting a Kyle Tucker trade · North Side Territory: A Chicago Cubs Podcast

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he may not be a superstar now, but if
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: he hits like forty bombs at Wrigley Field next year,
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: like better believe he would be one.
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: Welcome into North Side Territory. Foul Territory Networks Cubs podcast.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: I'm Sahadev Sharma with my partner Patrick Mooney, where your
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: Cubs beat writers over at the Athletic Patrick. The winter
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: meetings are in full swing. This is actually a little
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: behind the scenes for everyone. This is our second recording
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: of a podcast that one got eaten up by the
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: Internet monsters and that has lost forever.
• 0:38
  Speaker 3: But there a lot has happen.
• 0:40
  Speaker 4: We've got better stuff now.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, a lot of it is. It's been very busy
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: the past twenty four hours and the big the big
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: news involving the.
• 0:51
  Speaker 3: Cubs roof five draft pick gauge. No, I'm kidding.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: It accurs that there are legs to the Kyle Hucker
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: trade rumors the Cubs. Cubs fans have been begging for
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: an impact and Pat.
• 1:08
  Speaker 3: They're obviously not.
• 1:11
  Speaker 2: Acquiring that player by a trade, but I mean by
• 1:14
  Speaker 2: the free agency. But it seems like it's a real
• 1:17
  Speaker 2: possibility that they can find that guy by a trade
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: and Kyle Tucker's name has now you know, we've we've
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: heard it enough that this is very real, a very
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: possible move for the Cubs to make.
• 1:29
  Speaker 3: It's pretty fascinating.
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: It's a It's one of those opportunities that you have
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: to pounce on, and it seems like the Cubs are
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: doing exactly that.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, our colleagues at the athletic Ken Rosenthal and Chandler
• 1:40
  Speaker 1: Rome have also been all over this. And this is
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: not a like tweet where it's like, you know, tm
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: X interested in player?
• 1:50
  Speaker 4: Why you know? Question mark Like.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: This is an ongoing dialogue between the Cubs and Astros.
• 2:00
  Speaker 4: Doesn't mean it's going to happen.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Doesn't mean the Cubs are the only team that could
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: use just an awesome hitter who has a gold glove
• 2:08
  Speaker 1: and the speed to steal thirty bases a year.
• 2:12
  Speaker 4: But the Cubs are sort of desperate. I thought it
• 2:18
  Speaker 4: was interesting.
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: Side of U asked GM Carter Hawkins last night about
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: the possibility of acquiring a rental.
• 2:25
  Speaker 4: Player, and he was pretty direct.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: I mean, he said absolutely that the calculus has changed
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: a bit for them here, and I think the Astros
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: and Cubs are kind of at different stages different points
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: in the cycle to where this could line up and
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: that it could be a fascinating trade built more around
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: major league talent, right.
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: Right, I mean I find that aspect fascinating. Right. The name,
• 2:55
  Speaker 3: the main name we're hearing right is esak Paritis. A
• 2:59
  Speaker 3: deal built around him, my opinion, makes a lot of sense.
• 3:03
  Speaker 2: And I think you could you could question, well, why
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: would you move someone that you just acquired a potentially
• 3:10
  Speaker 2: impactful bat on his own right, and he's available for
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: I mean, he's under contract for three more seasons. That
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: that's a lot of value. He's twenty five, twenty six
• 3:23
  Speaker 2: years old, plays third base, like it makes it Someone
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: could suggest it creates another hole in my opinion, when
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: you look at the difference between these two players, it's
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: a pretty big gulf. Like we're talking about Kyle Tucker,
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: who it was funny to listen to Jed kind of
• 3:40
  Speaker 2: equivocate about what a superstar is, right, just he was
• 3:45
  Speaker 2: more interested in just getting finding impact is what his
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: point was. Superstar And I think you could kind of
• 3:51
  Speaker 2: break that those semantics down to maybe Kyle Tucker isn't
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: a superstar in the traditional sense of that word, right,
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Like he's not like he's not on the cover of
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: video games.
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: He's not.
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: You know, he doesn't get garner a lot of headlines.
• 4:06
  Speaker 2: Go look at the numbers. The guy is a superstar.
• 4:09
  Speaker 2: He's a superstar offensive player. There are three players that
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: I put at the upper tier when it comes to offense,
• 4:14
  Speaker 2: and it's Juan Soto, Shoheyo Tani and Aaron Judge. Right
• 4:17
  Speaker 2: there in that next tier is Kyle Tucker with with
• 4:21
  Speaker 2: names like Mookie Betts and jr. Don Alvarez and Jose Ramirez.
• 4:24
  Speaker 3: That's the type of player. He is insanely impactful.
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: Like we talk about offensive production, Kyle Tucker is you
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: know like it. I like to lookod Way to runs great,
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: a plus and he's going to give you a one
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: forty if not above that. And that is a very
• 4:40
  Speaker 2: impactful player. And he plays goal glove defense. Like you
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: said this, this is the type of move if they
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: can pull it off, that change the dynamic of the lineup.
• 4:50
  Speaker 3: Now, yes, you have to give up quality.
• 4:53
  Speaker 2: This is not going to be an easy trade. If
• 4:57
  Speaker 2: if parade is if you can build a trade around Parade,
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: I think that makes a lot of sense of why
• 5:02
  Speaker 2: why would you give up years of control? It's what
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: you mentioned before, what I asked Carter. They're in win
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: now phase. They'll give up future wins for current wins.
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: Kyle Tucker moves the needle, changes the lineup. Kyle Tucker
• 5:15
  Speaker 2: is only under control for one year. But he is
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: the type of guy that you'd extend if you could.
• 5:20
  Speaker 2: But when I say extend, I'm not sure if if
• 5:23
  Speaker 2: they could get an actual.
• 5:25
  Speaker 3: Extension done, probably not, I doubt it.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: But signing him, giving him the money, if he can
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: enjoys his time in Chicago really field most players do.
• 5:36
  Speaker 2: That's the type of guy you pay, Right, it's not
• 5:38
  Speaker 2: going to cost fifteen years, seven hundred and sixty five
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: million dollars, but it's going to cost a lot of money.
• 5:45
  Speaker 4: Like twelve and four hundred.
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: I don't know.
• 5:47
  Speaker 4: Yeah, at the way the rate this has been accelerating.
• 5:52
  Speaker 2: Yes, And I think you just have to be willing
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: to do that, willing to take this risk.
• 5:58
  Speaker 3: It is a risk.
• 5:58
  Speaker 2: It's a risk that he does Juan Soto did with
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: the what happened to the Yankees, spends a year there,
• 6:05
  Speaker 2: loves his time there, but that gets paid more money elsewhere.
• 6:08
  Speaker 4: But they went to the World Series.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: Right, right, they went to the series, and this is
• 6:13
  Speaker 2: where Jed Hoyer, Carterhowkins in the front office is head
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: They're at the point where it's time to take some risks,
• 6:20
  Speaker 2: like you just sit on your hands and then lose
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: and get fired, Like that's it.
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: That's why you have to be a little aggressive. You
• 6:28
  Speaker 3: have to be a little bold.
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: And I think you know, es opparatus plus prospects makes
• 6:34
  Speaker 2: just a huge amount of sense.
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, he may not be a superstar now, but if
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: he hits like forty bombs at Wrigley Field next year,
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: like better believe he would be one and viewed as such,
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: I think you'd worry about the extension stuff later and
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: that would almost certainly be more of a conversation after
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: the season. We're getting a little ahead of ourselves. But
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: I really liked, Yeah, I liked you know, as we
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: were collaborating on the story last night of you know,
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: these trades for sort of the one year star hitter rentals.
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: You know, the Cardinals didn't really regret what they gave
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: up for gold Schmidt. The Red Sox have certainly not
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: recovered from uh dealing Mookie bets. The Sodo one was
• 7:33
  Speaker 1: an outlier, and.
• 7:35
  Speaker 3: Then there was one other one, Lindor Lin Door.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: I mean, you know, nothing outrageous, didn't burn any of
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: those teams. And then I thought the analysis you ran
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: in terms of just the numbers of how impactful this
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: guy is, it really opened my eyes in terms of
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: just the like, wow, he hits in like half a
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: season with the Cubs home run leader would produce, or
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: like he got to what like four point two war
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: and half a season and danzbelad the Cubs with like
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: four point three war and like one hundred and forty
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: something games, And this is what fans have been waiting for,
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: like the splash to kind of move some pieces, to
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: move this thing forward. And honestly, it was kind of
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: refreshing to write about something different other than they're not
• 8:32
  Speaker 1: in on Soto and Burns, or they're looking to trade
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: this guy and that guy, like you know, maybe want
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: being a big teaser disappointment, but it certainly has livened
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: up these winter.
• 8:43
  Speaker 2: Meetings, right, And when you bring up all those names,
• 8:47
  Speaker 2: there were always excuses made of why the Cups couldn't
• 8:50
  Speaker 2: do those types of deals, and sometimes valid excuses, right,
• 8:53
  Speaker 2: Like Paul Goldschmidt was available when Anthony Rizzo was manning
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: for a space and the Cubs just didn't have the
• 8:58
  Speaker 2: prospect depth. That's that's the other benefit, like we talked about,
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: like they use their prospect to get Paradis. Now now
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: use paradis again to get to take another step up.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: Like Jed's hammering this idea of like consolidation of war,
• 9:12
  Speaker 2: like a one one player that that has you know,
• 9:15
  Speaker 2: five six, seven war seasons. They yes, do they have
• 9:18
  Speaker 2: guys that have that potential on the roster, absolutely, but
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: this is a guy that has done it like can
• 9:25
  Speaker 2: can do it, like stay healthy and win a Gold
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Love and impact the offense at a level that this
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: team hasn't seen since its heyday, you know, which is
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: approaching a decade ago, which is kind of crazy to think.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: So, you know, just to.
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: Completely alters the complexion of the roster in the lineup
• 9:48
  Speaker 2: and something that that you know, should excite a fan
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: base that is searching for reasons to be excited. The
• 9:56
  Speaker 2: timing's right, which maybe it wasn't with Mookie Betts, the
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: position and fit, all these different things they're they're looking
• 10:02
  Speaker 2: for that and and now now they they seem to
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: have zeroed it on their target.
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it'd be really interested to see, like what
• 10:10
  Speaker 1: these other moves are, right, and they've got a couple
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: a couple of outfielders who have been very prominently mentioned
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: in trade rumors.
• 10:20
  Speaker 4: I thought it was fascinating, uh to see.
• 10:23
  Speaker 1: Joel Wolfe says Suzuki's agent do kind of multiple rounds
• 10:28
  Speaker 1: of media sessions, uh, starting with Roki Sazaki, and then
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: it kind of became offshoots of other different clients hees
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: had and uh Saya is among those decorated players. And
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: for Joel to come out and say, yeah, you know,
• 10:46
  Speaker 1: Jed's you know, talk to us about uh maybe trade
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: possibilities and uh certain ideas on there and uh the
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: fact that Saya coming out.
• 10:57
  Speaker 4: From Japan.
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: And he was posted probably wouldn't have signed with the
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: team that was going to use him as a DH.
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: But also at the same time saying it's a very
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: small universe of teams that say, I would even consider
• 11:11
  Speaker 1: what do you got on Saya?
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm not surprised that teams are interested
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: in sayah, right, like that, that makes a lot of sense.
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: Teams should be asking about Saya and if the Cubs
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: are trying to kind of reshape this lineup, I understand
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: why they like even consider it, and maybe someone bowls
• 11:29
  Speaker 2: them over. But I think I think Jed said it
• 11:32
  Speaker 2: today he expects, say Suzuki to be a Chicago Cup
• 11:35
  Speaker 2: next year. That there was some I thought, you know,
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: I thought that fans and others kind of may have
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: taken the DH talk a little too far as well,
• 11:48
  Speaker 2: like he was really upset and like this was some
• 11:50
  Speaker 2: point of contention and like say it wanted out.
• 11:53
  Speaker 3: That is not how I interpreted what Joel was saying.
• 11:57
  Speaker 2: Just that, just that the idea that this is something
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: one that came here who wanted to be a right fielder,
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: believes he's a right fielder and doesn't doesn't expect to
• 12:05
  Speaker 2: be there full time.
• 12:07
  Speaker 3: I don't like.
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: And then talking to Carter and Jed the past two days,
• 12:11
  Speaker 2: they made it pretty clear there's no there's no anger here,
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: there's no animosity between the two sides.
• 12:16
  Speaker 3: They have a good relationship. This was a decision that that.
• 12:22
  Speaker 2: Craig Council made because he had better right fielders to
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: put out there. And frankly, Suzuki hit. It's not like
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: it got in his head and he couldn't hit. Suddenly
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: he was awesome.
• 12:33
  Speaker 3: Really well, yeah, right, right.
• 12:34
  Speaker 2: So I thought that was a little like I think
• 12:37
  Speaker 2: some of it was taken too far by some uh
• 12:40
  Speaker 2: some on the internet and thought like it meant more
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: than it did. Like say, a, Suzuki's not demanding a
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: trade now that there's nothing like that. It's not like
• 12:47
  Speaker 2: he's a claiming in right field or trade. Me.
• 12:49
  Speaker 3: Uh, this seems all very like they're they're all good.
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: Joel Wolfe has other clients with the Cubs that they
• 12:55
  Speaker 2: have a great working relationship. I wouldn't I wouldn't overthink
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: that such suation and I would like everything that we're
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: hearing makes it seem like it would be pretty big
• 13:07
  Speaker 2: surprise if say, Suzuki is not with the Cubs next year.
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: But yeah, if if it came to that, I think
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: something it means something has gone wrong this offseason, at
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: least in terms of.
• 13:21
  Speaker 4: The Cubs, sort of like plan A right, And I
• 13:24
  Speaker 4: think you.
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Know with sayah, it's hard to watch all those fly
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: balls he flat out just missed in right field and
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: be like kind of take some of it seriously, but
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: you're right, Like Joel and Jed very long standing relationship,
• 13:44
  Speaker 1: and I thought Jed made a good point on Wednesday
• 13:49
  Speaker 1: before these meetings wrapped up. Of like, you know, we
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: always see kind of the negotiation side, or that's kind
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: of usually how it's viewed. There's a ton of conversations
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: that have to happen throughout the year with all players
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: in each front office, but particularly you know, a Japanese
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: player coming over and the Cubs wanting to put him
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: in a position to succeed. We know that both sides
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: have spent a lot of energy and effort on nutrition
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: and interpreters and kind of you know, hitting messaging like
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: all of that stuff, and I do think it'll be hard.
• 14:32
  Speaker 4: For say, to start over. I do think he's pretty
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: comfortable there. I think, you know, the Cubs.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: Executed it's been a pretty good deal, you know, if
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: you have him for two more years, and just obviously
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: you know, Cody Bellinger does not have no trade clause.
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: He's the one that'll be easier to move. And you know,
• 14:57
  Speaker 1: I do ultimately think that's the.
• 14:58
  Speaker 3: Guy who's gon to get moved.
• 15:00
  Speaker 4: I think he thinks he's gonna get moved.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: Right right, Yeah. I mean, like I don't know how
• 15:06
  Speaker 3: long we've been hearing about this.
• 15:08
  Speaker 2: Now it feels like a while, and every day that
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: goes by, it's not like, you.
• 15:13
  Speaker 3: Know what, maybe we jumped the gun talking about that.
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: If anything, it feels like with every moment that passes, yeah, yeah,
• 15:22
  Speaker 2: more and more likely that Cody Bellinger will be in
• 15:25
  Speaker 2: another uniform next season. I think, like where what type
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: of return of the Cubs getting? Like what type of
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: deal is this? Those are the questions I'm most interested
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: in figuring out.
• 15:40
  Speaker 3: But could it be quick? Could it?
• 15:43
  Speaker 2: Could it happened this week? I wouldn't be shocked by that.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: I thought it was I did think it was interesting
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: that Jed. I mean, I think we knew this. He's
• 15:53
  Speaker 2: kind of hinted at it, but he's straight upset, like
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: we're we're very active in trade talks, less so free agency.
• 16:02
  Speaker 2: That's you know, we've known that. But to hear him
• 16:05
  Speaker 2: say that and just flat out admit it, like this
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: is this is throughout they're taking and they're not there.
• 16:11
  Speaker 2: I think there's a lot of different things going on,
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: and the two that we're talking about primarily right now
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: are trying to bring in Tucker and trying to move Bellinger.
• 16:21
  Speaker 3: H I think what would be fascinating is all the other.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: Moves that that that they'd be making or considering how
• 16:28
  Speaker 2: else they're they would do that. If they can pull
• 16:30
  Speaker 2: those off, though, you know, completely changes the tenor of
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: the off season, how we look at this team, how
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: they fill holes, and and really what they do going forward.
• 16:42
  Speaker 2: I think it'll be very interesting to see and frankly
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: if they pull off a Kyle Tucker trade of just
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: fascinating to see who's involved.
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: Well, to be clear, we both heard the Astros are
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: not at all on Bellinger. That is not a part
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: of this, But yeah, it becomes like, what how much
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: money comes back to them, how do they utilize it?
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: What opportunities does this open for certain younger players? Is
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: there now a whole at third base? I'd imagine they'd
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: go in stronger on pitching. We still think they're going
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: to add another starter in some form or a kind
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: of a picture they could use creatively. The bullpen needs
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: obviously more options. So it does feel like we talked
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: about it with Jed again, like this is not last
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: offseason when their first move was like whatever January eleventh, twelfth,
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: somewhere in that range leading into Cups convention, Like they've
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: they've made some moves here. I mean, they've got the
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: tugger trade, you know, in in the talk stage.
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: I don't know the deal zone.
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't know what the exact phrase
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: would be, but they've submitted the introductory materials to Suzaki's camp.
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: Matthew Boyd deal, you know, looks more and more reasonable
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: as the rest of the pitching market accelerates.
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: It made him move for the bullpen.
• 18:25
  Speaker 1: Carson Kelly is a catcher that's sort of on deck,
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: is our understanding, and you know we haven't left the
• 18:32
  Speaker 1: winter meetings yet.
• 18:34
  Speaker 3: Right, Yeah.
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: I do think that they'll continue to be active, They'll
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: continue to be busy. There was a big trade moments
• 18:43
  Speaker 2: ago with the Garrett Crochet going to Boston.
• 18:45
  Speaker 3: Obviously the Cubs had some interest there.
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: I don't know if anything that doesn't seem like anything
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: was particularly close, but that's that's certainly. I think it's
• 18:57
  Speaker 2: Domino's fall, Like more and more things happen, right like
• 19:00
  Speaker 2: this is like it first one was Juan Soto, and
• 19:03
  Speaker 2: while it wasn't an avalanche of moves on Monday, it
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: certainly became clear that.
• 19:09
  Speaker 3: That things were moving quicker.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: I think our colleague Ken Rosenthal has has said that
• 19:15
  Speaker 2: Corbyn Burns isn't too far away from signing like this is.
• 19:19
  Speaker 2: Max Free just signed with the Yankees. Like a lot
• 19:21
  Speaker 2: has happened. We've gone from very dead winter meetings. I
• 19:26
  Speaker 2: believe it was you that brought up to Jed. They
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: didn't make their first move till like the middle of
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: January last year. And now they're not only have they
• 19:36
  Speaker 2: made a few solid moves that they're very active in talks.
• 19:41
  Speaker 2: It's just we weren't hearing this type of buzz a
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: year ago. We weren't hearing this type of top frankly,
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: I guess like mostly around the league too, but especially
• 19:49
  Speaker 2: around the cups it was non existent.
• 19:51
  Speaker 3: And and uh, this is just a.
• 19:54
  Speaker 2: Very different feel and vibe and and like it like
• 19:58
  Speaker 2: we like I keep saying, if they can pull off
• 20:01
  Speaker 2: this trade, it completely changes the way you.
• 20:03
  Speaker 3: Ever like I think it should change the way Cubs
• 20:06
  Speaker 3: fans feel about everything.
• 20:07
  Speaker 2: It's this is it's a type of like aggressive like
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: we're we're not playing around, We're not thinking about twenty
• 20:14
  Speaker 2: twenty eight. We're not you know, we are trying to
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: win in twenty twenty five. That's that's what these types
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: of moves suggest. And it it feels like an exhale
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: of like finally they come on. Let's see them act
• 20:29
  Speaker 2: in a manner that we should expect from a team
• 20:31
  Speaker 2: like this.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: Yeah, our buddy Jesse Rodgers of ESPN asked, Jed, you
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: know what ending of the offseason is this, and I
• 20:40
  Speaker 1: don't know if he said fourth or fifth something like that.
• 20:42
  Speaker 4: It's it's certainly deeper into.
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: The ballgame than it was at some of these prior
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: winter meetings that have been frankly kind of boring. And
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: I mean, if they pull off a deal for Kyle Tucker,
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: like just play go, Cubs Go, because I feel like
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: that would be a signal, sure kind of all in
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: move that would.
• 21:05
  Speaker 4: Energize the team, give the fan base.
• 21:11
  Speaker 1: More justifiable a sense of optimism, and just you just
• 21:16
  Speaker 1: can't run it back. I mean, James and Tyne said
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: it on our show last week of when you fall
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: short like this, you kind of do it to yourself.
• 21:26
  Speaker 4: And Tucker would be that, you know, like, oh wow,
• 21:34
  Speaker 4: like the Cubs are, you know.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Seriously trying to win this division and would have a
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: lot of time still to do some of those other
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: stuff that they're good at of like you know, doing
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: stuff on the margins, you know, finding those bilo relievers,
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: identifying you know, the right pictures to kind of strengthen
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: the rotation, and then you know you have Craig Council,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: a very good manager, pushing those buttons.
• 22:04
  Speaker 3: Yeah, and a couple of things.
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: If you if you don't think Kyle Tucker is worth it,
• 22:10
  Speaker 2: I would recommend just double checking his stats and going
• 22:14
  Speaker 2: to look at what he's done over there, basically since
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: like twenty one. If if you're worried about always only
• 22:22
  Speaker 2: on one year, don't create good prospects for a rental,
• 22:27
  Speaker 2: I get the sentiment, but you have to take these
• 22:29
  Speaker 2: types of risks. At some point, you can't just keep
• 22:31
  Speaker 2: sitting on prospects. You have to be aggressive. These opportunities
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: come up every so often, but not every year, not
• 22:39
  Speaker 2: all the time, and when they come, when they're finally here,
• 22:43
  Speaker 2: like you have to take advantage of it. It's time
• 22:45
  Speaker 2: to win, It's time to be aggressive. And to finally
• 22:48
  Speaker 2: see the Cubs acting in that manner is matters. It's
• 22:52
  Speaker 2: a big it's a big deal and to see them
• 22:55
  Speaker 2: do this, I think it is if they can pull
• 22:57
  Speaker 2: this off, is it is a turning point. Feel like
• 23:01
  Speaker 2: finally this is behaving like the team that they should be.
• 23:06
  Speaker 2: So yeah, I think it's as simple as that. I
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: understand some some consternation or worry about it.
• 23:13
  Speaker 3: What if he leaves after a year?
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, time to take some yeah yeah, time to
• 23:20
  Speaker 2: make time to make some moves and be a real
• 23:23
  Speaker 2: big market org that that isn't afraid, that isn't just
• 23:26
  Speaker 2: prospect hoarding. Yeah, all right, Patrick, you know what, we'll
• 23:31
  Speaker 2: be back with more from the winter meetings, I believe. Well,
• 23:35
  Speaker 2: we'll see how quickly these things can move if there's
• 23:38
  Speaker 2: actual movement in the next day or two. But it
• 23:42
  Speaker 2: sounds like Jed Hoyer may or may not leave Dallas tonight.
• 23:47
  Speaker 2: So if if that's any indication of what's happening, that
• 23:51
  Speaker 2: that'd be fascinating as well.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: We'll see what what more happens.
• 23:56
  Speaker 2: Uh. This is North Side Territory on Foul Territory. Thanks
• 24:00
  Speaker 2: so much for listening. Make sure to rate, review, subscribe,
• 24:03
  Speaker 2: Please subscribe to the YouTube channel. You guys have really
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: ramped up the views on there and reappreciate it. Subscribe
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: to The Athletic Patrick and I will continue to be
• 24:12
  Speaker 2: on top of this offseason. It's been pretty hectic, and
• 24:15
  Speaker 2: we'll continue to give you everything we can that we're hearing.
• 24:19
  Speaker 3: Thanks so much for listening. Everyone,