Latest / Sports Avenue Twisted Podcast / Episode 51 Part I feat. The BrushBack Crew - Jays , AL East , Orioles and Braves down seasons and what's next

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Episode 51 Part I feat. The BrushBack Crew - Jays , AL East , Orioles and Braves down seasons and what's next · Sports Avenue Twisted Podcast

0:26
Welcome to another edition of the Sports Ave.
0:28
Twisted podcast. We got some returning guests and
0:32
they were here during the the preseason talks about the MOB
0:37
season and they're back once again.
0:40
They are the Brush Back podcast crew.
0:43
Jay Jackson and Trayvon Rob Robinson, welcome to the show.
0:46
Welcome back Jay. Just give us an update on what
0:50
you do and just let everybody else know.
0:53
Oh yeah, so right now I'm actually the pitching coach for
0:57
the West Virginia Black Bears in the Major League Baseball draft
1:01
league. We actually just started the
1:02
second-half right after the All Star break.
1:05
So we're in first place. Actually in the second-half,
1:09
we're eight and three. So we're looking good, hopefully
1:12
can win the second-half and be in the championship game.
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So right now I'm just coaching and joining time I have with the
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guys and hopefully having them learn and take notes and, you
1:21
know, doing the best they can. And right now the boys are
1:24
pitching well, so I'm happy. That's awesome.
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And the the other guest is the other half member of the
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Brushback Podcast crew is Trayvon T Rob Robinson.
1:34
Welcome back. Give us an update on what you do
1:37
and let and let the world know what you're about.
1:41
Me and me and Jay entered the, you know, our crews just being a
1:45
coach. So this year I am full time
1:47
hitting coach with the Lancaster Stormers and Atlantic League.
1:51
We're back. We're doing pretty well right
1:52
now. We're also in first place of our
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second-half. And you know, we got, we got
1:58
some injuries going on. But yeah, I'm just, you know,
2:01
whatever I learned through my career, you know, just make sure
2:04
I just throw it back to the young guys and all that stuff.
2:06
So it's been, it's been real good.
2:08
It's been real smooth. I'll tell you what, this
2:11
generation man, they like hidden bro every day.
2:16
That's awesome, man, that you guys are are are giving back
2:20
like that. You guys are the coaches of two
2:22
first place teams. So and it's great to have you
2:25
guys back man. So talking a little bit of
2:28
baseball with you. So we're happy to have him.
2:31
We're excited. So let's get into it.
2:35
Let's talk about the AL East here.
2:37
And we know that that's still the toughest division in
2:40
baseball and might be the shock of the year so far.
2:44
The way the season's going, the Jays are first place.
2:47
And I remember all of us predicted that the Jays were
2:51
were going to be a playoff team. But most most of us predicted
2:54
that they were going to be wild card seedings.
2:57
And they have the best record in baseball as of July 27th, 2025.
3:04
And I don't know if any of us, I didn't, I didn't see this
3:08
coming, Rob didn't see this coming.
3:11
Jay, what are your thoughts about that starting with you?
3:15
I didn't necessarily see it coming.
3:16
I think in the episode the preseason, I said if the Jays
3:20
could hit that I knew their pitching was going to be good
3:23
enough that they could make a run at the at the 1st place for
3:25
the AL ES. But the way they're hitting and
3:28
pitching right now and how the combination has been going
3:30
together, and also, you know, with how the Yankees and Boston
3:35
have been beating up on each other as well, and just the
3:37
other, like, you know, losing streaks they've had from other
3:40
teams. The Jays have just been the most
3:42
consistent team all year. So this is kind of surprising,
3:46
but not surprising as I thought it would be, honestly.
3:50
But I'm glad to see the boys are in first place and looking good.
3:54
And I'm hoping that they can keep this momentum, the rest of
3:56
the half, the rest of the second-half, honestly.
4:01
Trayvon. Yeah, I think they're just
4:03
playing like like very, very consistent baseball and nobody's
4:08
not giving them any pub. Nobody's not giving them much of
4:11
A on the grandstand. Like, you know, I'm saying on
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everybody's talking about Yankees is shaky dad.
4:17
And you know, I think it was a lot of distraction in that in
4:20
that division, you know, with the Devers trade and the miss
4:23
mishaps over there and all that stuff.
4:25
So, you know, I think the Jays just took advantage of his like,
4:28
hey, man, let's let's win these ball games very quick, bro.
4:30
You know, I'm saying. So yeah, I just think they're
4:34
just a sneaky the sneaky team. And I mean, like I said, like I
4:38
had them being in the playoffs also.
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So I mean, they're just they're just doing what they supposed to
4:43
be doing. You know, the consistency,
4:45
especially they they got big boppers too.
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You know, they had that big contract signing with Vlad and
4:52
everybody else is coming around right now to.
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Getting the Vladdy deal done was, I think, a huge part of how
4:58
they've been playing this year because I think if that would
5:00
have lingered too much throughout the year, they
5:03
wouldn't be playing as well as they are right now.
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But the fact they got the Vladdy deal done as soon as they did,
5:09
they got some stability there. They knew, again, like I said,
5:11
they knew what they're going to get out of starting pitching.
5:13
For the most part, you know, their four or five stars were
5:16
behind to be up in the air, but you know, they're 123 punch is
5:21
the best, one of the best in the league.
5:23
So I just always said that I thought they were going to be a
5:26
wild card team because of the hitting factor more than the
5:29
pitching factor. But like T said, they've
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literally just won. The rest of the league's just
5:34
kind of been fluctuating up and down.
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They've just been playing really consistent baseball.
5:39
You know, I agree with you the fact that it's surprising, but
5:43
it's kind of not surprising, like too surprising because you
5:47
look in the offseason and everybody had the Blue Jays as
5:50
being this, you know, they don't know, you know, like this team
5:54
that's, you know, they were bad last year.
5:57
You know, you just see after two or three years, you can't trust
6:00
the Blue Jays this and that. But if you like, you know, if
6:04
you looked at them, all they needed was half the team that
6:07
like not even half the team to like positively regress and they
6:11
would be a decent team. Well, they not only have had
6:14
positive regression, but they've had full blown bounce backs from
6:21
guys like George Springer, Ernie Clements taking another step
6:25
forward, MOBA Shet's bounced back.
6:29
Vlad hasn't even been you know, his his signing got done, but he
6:33
hasn't even been like, you know, he's starting to get going just
6:37
just now, like with the, you know, like, and it's just it's
6:41
crazy that you know, and the pitching has been good.
6:44
The bullpen has bounced back. It's just there.
6:47
There's so many things going on with this team that have been
6:50
positive that and that's why they're sitting in first place.
6:56
You know, credit to John Schneider, credit to credit to
6:59
Ross Atkins, credit to a lot of people, credit to the players
7:04
themselves who if you know, and, and it's not just one guy, it's
7:08
like 46 guys on this roster than a bounce back.
7:14
It's, it's, it's, it's awesome, man.
7:16
Like just being a Jays fan. It's such a great time.
7:19
And it's, it's really, if you look at it, it's just like,
7:23
doesn't matter who they call up, he produces.
7:25
It's it's great to see and it's fun.
7:28
I think they got a good balance, man.
7:30
I'm looking at the roster right now.
7:31
They got a good balance of young guys and and older guys.
7:35
You know, you got Max Max is, you know, obviously he's the
7:39
leader, but we, as crazy as it sounds to me, because we're a
7:43
lot older now. Goss, man.
7:45
Goss is the older guy too. Like, you know what I'm saying?
7:47
He's been, he's been around, he's been in in the league for,
7:51
you know, eight years or something like that.
7:53
So you know, you got Jose, he's been in, he got that big
7:57
contract. He's been in the league for a
7:58
while too. On just on the, on the pitching
8:01
standpoint, you know, you, you got a good balance of, of, of
8:04
leadership there. So and they're just running with
8:07
it, man, looks good. You know, if you look at this
8:12
roster, their their depth is pretty deep.
8:15
And we look at Santander, the prized free agent this
8:20
offseason. He hasn't played much baseball.
8:22
He's struggling. He had that shoulder issue.
8:24
We don't know if he's going to be back.
8:25
Barshaw, I think will be back at some point.
8:27
But he he was off to a great start when he came back until he
8:33
injured his hamstring. But he should be back.
8:34
And then Jimenez, he's more known as a defensive specialist
8:38
who could try to bounce back with his bat, like he's been
8:41
injured a couple times too. But it's it's just a collective
8:45
effort. It's the guys from the bottom of
8:46
the lineup. And I think what's also
8:48
important is that last year's trade deadline benefited the
8:51
Blue Jays. This this year, if you look at
8:53
the low profit of the Will Wagner's, those guys have
8:56
stepped up. It's like it's like David
8:57
Schneider, like another guy. And I remember, Jay, you were
9:00
you were there with the Jays when David Schneider had that
9:04
historic start with the Red Sox, I think a couple years ago,
9:07
right? So, yeah.
9:09
And he's looks like he's bounced back to like they know when to
9:13
pick choose. And and I think the most
9:16
important signing for Toronto was the hitting coach was David
9:20
Popkins from the Minnesota Twins because they had Guilman
9:24
Martinez. Then they had the automatically
9:26
they didn't know like what what was going on and they had to
9:30
make a change. And like you said, you guys said
9:33
like hitting was an issue, but it seems like they've done
9:37
things to re justify because they lead the league in least
9:41
amount of strikeouts. They take more pitches.
9:44
Like you look at a guy like Boba Shed or David Schneider and
9:47
Nathan Lucas, they take pitches, they work the counts and it's
9:53
amazing. It's astonishing if you think
9:55
about this, because they're the most surprising team in
9:59
baseball. And the way the AL East is going
10:01
like like the Yankees are reeling right now.
10:04
Like you look at what they're trying to do.
10:06
We'll we'll get into trades later in the episode.
10:08
The Red Sox have been there. They had a bad start, but
10:11
they're starting to play a little bit better lately.
10:14
The Rays are to me a question. Question where, because I had I
10:17
had the Rays winning the division, but they've been on a
10:19
major slump these last few weeks And and I don't know what their
10:24
direction is and and the way and the way it's gone.
10:27
Like now you look at the AL as a whole, it's like, it's like it's
10:32
wide open, right? So it's, it's, it's amazing
10:36
where, where the Jays are AT. And and you know, what's the
10:39
most important part is they're beating really good pitching.
10:44
And that's, I think that's probably the most important part
10:47
of this, this lineup. Like not only they're facing
10:50
good teams, but they're beating good pitching.
10:51
Like yesterday they faced Derek School, but Kevin Gosman's been
10:56
playing great too lately. And they've been that.
10:59
That was like a battle of the aces that faced each other.
11:02
And some of the Jays came on top until, like today, of course,
11:05
Jack Flaherty had a good bounce back.
11:06
Season. Yeah, I mean, it's it's amazing
11:09
the Jays are doing this. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I, I just
11:14
think that the that division is, is so, so competitive to where
11:19
you just talked about the Rays. I'm looking at them right now.
11:21
They're I mean, they might have had a bad a little skit or
11:24
whatever. They're still playing 500
11:25
baseball. So you can never count them out.
11:28
Like, you know, I'm saying like especially right now and
11:30
especially being a traditionally they're they're always been a
11:34
wild card division type team and they're one three games out of
11:39
that last spot in the wild card right now.
11:41
Anyway. If it all, you know, there might
11:43
miss it if the if the season ends right now.
11:45
But they're they're always been a 500 team and you can never
11:49
count them out. That's just what I what I know
11:54
them. It got the guardians.
11:55
You know, they're, they're, they're always, they're always
11:57
an even killed team. Not 100%.
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I mean, like I said, like the Blue Jays just been playing more
12:03
consistent in the Rays or just right there just hovering
12:07
around. You said they're 500.
12:09
I mean, you never know what kind of second-half they're going to
12:11
have. And the AL East is always, it's
12:14
just they're going to beat up on each other for a little bit in
12:16
that division, too. So if the Rays can squeak out
12:19
some wins against the top three teams, you never know how that
12:22
division can shape out, especially with Boston and New
12:25
York a game behind each other and then only realistically four
12:30
games ahead of Tampa Bay. You know, if Tampa gets hot, you
12:34
never know, like, they can go run off.
12:36
You know, they might have a is there a part in their schedule
12:39
where they have, oh, they have the Yankees coming up.
12:42
I was going to say for both teams, they got four, they got
12:45
four, they got 4 coming up against the Yankees right now.
12:47
They got 4 coming up against the Yankees and then they play.
12:53
Wouldn't do Do they play Boston again?
12:55
Yeah, they played, I think they played Boston 2 times and Boston
12:58
has the series 5 one against. The Yankees, they have Boston
13:01
three times at home in September, which is going to be
13:05
another huge series, you know what I mean?
13:06
So, and they finished the year they go Toronto at home, Boston
13:11
at home, Baltimore on the road, Toronto on the road.
13:16
So one important trait I want to say before you go into the next
13:20
topic is that the Jays do have the season series against the
13:23
Yankees and the Red Sox. Any tiebreaker that they have,
13:27
the Jays have the advantage. The only team right now they
13:29
don't have the advantage is a raise.
13:31
And I think they have the series 51, but they don't even face
13:34
each other till the last two weeks of September, which is
13:37
it's bizarre the way they scheduled both those those teams
13:41
together. Ironically, I don't know.
13:43
They. Yeah.
13:44
And I'm pretty sure Jay remember.
13:46
Yeah. Jay remember like every year,
13:48
like the Jays, I think when you played there, they they you guys
13:52
played the Rays what like twice in the in that last two weeks, I
13:56
believe or. Yeah, something crazy.
13:58
Let me see, We can actually find out right now.
14:00
Yeah, dude, that's crazy. They like they do this every
14:03
year with the Jays and the Rays. I don't know why.
14:06
Right. So.
14:10
Man 2023, yeah. And I think the Jays won like
14:15
they won like they won. They beat the Rays a few times I
14:17
think or some somewhere there. Yeah, same thing.
14:22
It was Toronto, Boston, Toronto, Texas for the Rays that year.
14:29
Yeah. So yeah, they always play
14:31
Toronto and Indiana. Like I said, that's a huge
14:33
series for the AL East always. I feel like the AL East, they do
14:36
that more than most divisions I feel like or I mean, no, all
14:39
divisions do that. The last like 2 weeks of the
14:42
season, they try to get in, you know, games against each other
14:45
just to I mean, because if it is close, then all those games are
14:50
now meaningful games the last two weeks of the season.
14:53
So I think that's what they try to do to schedule it that way.
14:56
But it's going to it's going to come down to that possibly.
14:59
I think the Jays just can stay consistent as they are.
15:04
Then they'll be fine as long as they don't start fluctuating
15:06
like some teams do. And this run of consistency that
15:10
they've been on, you know, hopefully they can just keep it
15:13
the rest of the second-half. But you never know, you know?
15:16
So, yeah, you go to how the Rays have been playing if they get
15:21
hot because they've been playing, you said, on a skid
15:24
recently. So they get hot, you know, and
15:27
they run quite get on like a 10 game heater real quick.
15:30
You never know how that shifts the whole division to, yeah,
15:33
even if the Orioles thing about the Orioles get on a team 1012
15:36
game heater somewhere, if they're lucky enough to at this
15:40
point and those other teams ahead of them end up losing or
15:43
something, then they're right back in it to all of a sudden,
15:46
which is crazy to think about. But you know, that division is
15:50
just like that because they play each other so well and so tough
15:53
all the times. It's just, it's just we're going
15:56
to see what happens this September, honestly.
16:00
So what are your thoughts on your guys thoughts on the
16:03
Orioles and their tumultuous season that they've had so far?
16:07
They they get off to this terrible start, then they fire
16:11
Brandon Hyde, you know, quarter what about third away through
16:16
season. And yeah.
16:17
And it just and it just doesn't get better for them.
16:20
And they're still, you know, playing this mediocre brand of
16:23
baseball. Mediocre to bad brand of
16:26
baseball. So what are your thoughts on on
16:28
what's gone with them this year? I think it's tough to say.
16:34
I'll let T answer that a little bit because I mean, I think it's
16:36
just an overall thing where, you know, they've been playing so
16:40
well for so many years. Realistically, if you think
16:42
about the past two years that now the league might be catching
16:46
up to him one or two, you know, it just might be a year.
16:50
That's just an off year for all the guys, like combined where
16:52
it's just, you know, more visually out there and it just
16:56
looks bad. But it's not, you know, so bad
16:58
where they can't be right back in the thick of things next year
17:02
again. You know, it's just one of those
17:03
years that seems to happen to me.
17:05
You look at the Braves like we're going to talk about
17:07
probably later, but the Braves are the kind of same thing.
17:09
They've been dominant for so many years and now you're
17:11
looking like, Dang, what's wrong with the Braves?
17:12
It's not really something possibly being wrong with them
17:15
necessarily. It's just, you know, they've
17:18
been so consistent, so good for so long that you know, a down
17:22
years bound to happen at some point.
17:24
Yeah, absolutely. I think that too.
17:26
I think they just have to, I think they might have set the
17:28
bar too high because out of the, you know, the managers that have
17:34
been dismissed this year, Brandon High was 15 and 28.
17:39
I mean, at the beginning of the season there's really, I mean,
17:41
it's such a long season to to kind of pull the trigger on it.
17:45
But you know, it probably some internal stuff we don't know,
17:47
like, you know, I'm saying, but setting the bar too high on a
17:51
young roster like that. I understand that you know the
17:55
way the trend of the the game is going, baseball stood say still
17:59
takes time. They don't have many guys that
18:02
are like under long term contracts, no sense.
18:05
They got a good core, good core group.
18:08
That was probably not the best move to make when it comes to
18:12
the disruption of that particular clubhouse, because
18:16
now they probably like, I don't know what the hell is going on
18:18
like that in the club. I was like, you know, we lost
18:20
our manager. Like there's a lot of pressing
18:22
here. Doesn't that like, you know, and
18:24
I just felt like they probably just never caught on to the
18:26
snowball. You know what I'm saying?
18:28
I mean, on the way up, you like, you know, I'm saying so I I
18:30
think that, you know, 2026 could be could be a year for them to
18:35
come back, but this year isn't over.
18:37
You know, they they can still they're only eight games out of
18:39
the wild, that final spot in the wild card.
18:41
So we know how crazy baseball is and we know how, you know, how
18:45
hot teams can catch on just like Jay said.
18:48
So I just think they just need to find their mojo and stop
18:52
trying to imitate, you know, possibly playing like whatever,
18:56
like your young team, be more athletic and be more youthful,
19:00
you know, I'm saying, and the high energy and all that stuff.
19:02
But I mean, they they got it. They're good team, but they're
19:04
also in a tough division too. So yeah, that's that's hard,
19:08
man. I mean, they just need to get
19:09
the 500, see what happens. That's.
19:12
I mean, I think it goes back to honestly, and I'm just going to
19:15
time in one more time before we go further, just because I was
19:18
just looking at their team stats, you know, not just the
19:20
player stats, like on both sides of the ball, you know, they've
19:23
just had such a regression. So they're not it just might be
19:26
a down year, honestly, on both sides of the ball because you
19:29
look at it, they're 23rd in the league and batting average this
19:32
year. They are.
19:36
Let's see, they're 22nd RBIs. They're like 26th and WHIP or
19:44
something like that. Like for pitching.
19:48
Let's see they're yeah, 27th and WHIP.
19:52
They're 27th and ERA. So I mean, I think it's just the
19:57
a thing on both sides of the ball that they're just having a
19:59
slight regression. So it might be that they needed
20:02
a new voice, but it also might be this isn't just to plug me
20:06
and Trey either that, you know, they might need to get a new
20:09
hidden coach and new pitching coach to going into next year
20:11
where, you know, you can get us both and then, you know, turn
20:16
that thing around real quick. You know what I mean?
20:18
But there's there. But there's a few teams that
20:21
could use me and Trey, honestly. But I think it's just one of
20:24
those things. And I'm not going to say their
20:25
coaches are doing a bad job. Because it just might be just be
20:28
a down year because you see that type of regression on both sides
20:31
of the ball. It's just like guys just might
20:33
be tired. It might be tired of the same
20:35
voice. It just might be They're tired
20:37
of the amount of baseball that they've played together for so
20:39
long. Because if you look at it, that
20:41
team's been pretty much the same team together for the past 3-4
20:45
years. And it's the big leagues.
20:48
They get a book on guys. And if you have the same guys in
20:50
the same lineup and they're the same guys every year, you never
20:54
know, it just might be one of those things where they might
20:57
just need to mix some things up here and there, add some guys,
20:59
subtract some guys or just, you know, some certain guys just,
21:02
you know, getting back into their own thing.
21:04
It just might be one of those just lulls in baseball,
21:08
honestly. The Santander move hurt them a
21:11
little bit. Yes, it's just my leader.
21:15
I think so. I think so, yeah.
21:17
I think, I think it, no, it definitely did.
21:19
I think it definitely did, but I don't want to say that it hurt
21:22
them to the point of this, much like devastation.
21:26
You see what I'm saying? To the point that they're this
21:31
bad on both sides of the ball. I'm gonna say yes.
21:33
The leadership role, losing him, then you lose Brandon Hyde too.
21:38
You had some injuries to start the year.
21:40
You didn't have your full squad again.
21:42
Guys have been playing a lot of baseball that aren't used to
21:45
playing that much baseball over the past couple years.
21:47
They're breaking down things of that nature.
21:49
And again, yeah, Santander leaving definitely hurts them in
21:53
a big way and it's a big hole, but I don't give it the bottom
21:58
of the AL least hole. No, no, I agree with that too.
22:02
No, you know, you know, The thing is like you knew that the
22:06
Orioles had to replace Corbin Burns.
22:08
Like they made an offer, but not enough to the point that, you
22:11
know, Arizona made the offer and he wanted to go home.
22:13
And I just felt like, you know, Charlie Morton's a good pitcher
22:17
And I I get I think he was he he was a veteran guy, but I felt
22:21
like I felt like they didn't do enough on the pitching
22:24
standpoint. That's what costed them early in
22:26
games. It could be philosophical too,
22:28
because you saw Charlie Morton struggling earlier in the season
22:32
and it was, I think it was Sup Gabo pitching.
22:35
Well, he was struggling too right after.
22:37
And I think they were also depending on Grayson Rodriguez
22:42
and he just can't stay healthy for some reason.
22:45
I just don't understand what's it like.
22:48
I know he's been having shoulder issues for a while and I don't
22:51
know what's going on with them. And that's it.
22:53
That's a mystery to me because I think they were banking heavily
22:56
on him to return and. And Trevor Rogers, too.
22:58
Rocky, I mean. Trevor Rogers from that.
23:00
Trade, Yeah. Pitching right now.
23:02
Pitching well, you know. Yeah.
23:04
And I think, I think those guys that you mentioned to, I think
23:07
Charlie being in Baltimore the first couple of months, right,
23:12
throws him off a little bit since he's been in the South and
23:15
been in warmer weather the past couple years.
23:18
And those have been his stars and he's had, you know, more
23:21
success down there, right. You go from Florida to Atlanta,
23:25
it's not too much drastically different, but you go from
23:28
Florida to Baltimore, Trayvon and myself can tell you those
23:33
first couple months, it's it's a lot different, you know what I
23:38
mean? So I think I think that hurt him
23:40
a little bit. And then Segano was pitching
23:43
well when Morton wasn't. And then, you know, they kind of
23:46
flip-flopped. And I don't think that I don't
23:48
think, you know, they gave Charlie, I mean, and Charlie's,
23:52
I mean, he's a veteran. He knows how to, he should know
23:54
how to get himself back to where he needs to be.
23:56
I think just all that, you know, culminating with him and him
24:01
trying to retire the past 3-4 years anyway, it just didn't end
24:05
well, you know what I mean? So I think that them banking on
24:09
that was a good gamble for what they were trying to do.
24:12
I just think it just didn't work out the way that they wanted it
24:15
to. And I think it's player and
24:18
coaches in front office on all fronts where, you know, maybe
24:21
they could have eased Charlie in in a better place somehow
24:24
instead of just, you know, maybe put him on the DL for the first
24:27
like, month to get him up there and get acclimated or something.
24:30
I don't know, who knows. But, you know, finding a way to
24:33
ease him in when he hasn't been up there in a while.
24:36
And then, you know, Sagano, when he starts getting, you know, his
24:40
little lull that he had, then you bring Charlie in there then
24:43
or something like that. Who knows?
24:44
But then, like you said, they're trying to bank on Grayson
24:48
Graysons hurt all the time. And then you look at Corbin
24:51
though too. Corbin got hurt as well.
24:52
So it's kind of a wash on both fronts, right?
24:55
So I mean, first I was going to say, you know, them losing the
24:58
side young and losing Corbin hurts too, but it's same point.
25:02
Corbins hurt right now too. So it's kind of a wash on all
25:04
fronts. I just think it was just overall
25:06
just one of those years where it was time for them to have a down
25:09
year and then they can reassess and reshape and retool what they
25:13
need to and add some pieces and see what they need to do to get
25:16
better to, you know, compete in the AL East again.
25:19
Right. And you know, The thing is like
25:21
you have they say you can never have enough pitching and
25:23
pitching is such a dire need in today's baseball.
25:25
Like you, Jay, you you might be serviceable for them right now.
25:30
But Oh yeah, I just don't open the other day actually, so.
25:32
Yeah, there you go. That's funny because we got a
25:35
friend who's a Braves fan and he told me to tell you tonight that
25:38
if you can call a A and meet the team in Kansas City, tell him
25:42
you're ready. I threw a bullpen the other day
25:46
to just show the guys that I could and just like I was
25:48
feeling good. So I was like, I'll get up here
25:50
and have some fun and you know, see if I can still, you know,
25:54
hit some spots here there. But no, it's fun like showing
25:57
the guys and the side I'm on now, I think I got some guys
26:01
that actually could probably have help a lot of bullpens.
26:03
I got a couple guys thrown in the mid to high 90s right now.
26:06
So and I know they probably help some teams.
26:08
Right. You know, the thing about also
26:10
one problem about Baltimore is they don't draft pitching.
26:15
I don't know what's going on like that development.
26:16
They don't do enough of that. I know they do trade for
26:20
starting pitcher in the minors. I know that.
26:22
But that's one thing they're going to have to figure out
26:24
because yeah, another and another.
26:27
I'll mention one more player and and hear me out.
26:31
So the one player that's kind of underwhelming it, I don't know
26:34
what's going on is Adly Rushman, like what's going on with them.
26:39
Like he's been ever since the second-half of last year, he
26:42
hasn't been the same player like Trevor.
26:45
Let me hear what you think about that.
26:48
It means sophomore slump. Or just kind of.
26:51
He's like, you're 3 or 4 I think now, yeah.
26:54
Is it? Is it is your third year?
26:56
This is the third or fourth year, yeah.
26:58
Third or fourth year now, Yeah. Yeah, well.
27:02
I don't know, maybe maybe, but but again, like now, now he's
27:05
the leader like he's the leader of that club outside.
27:07
He's a starting catcher. Like, you know, I'm saying he
27:09
only got 3. He got three years in the big
27:10
leagues. But you know, being being a
27:13
leader in in heaven's not not being literally being the only
27:18
veteran there better ish there that's going to be there every
27:21
day. I mean, it could take a toll on
27:23
him, man. He's trying to control the
27:25
pitching staff and in that division and he's he got two
27:29
sides to worry about. You know, that's, that's a tall
27:32
task from that young man like, you know, and and they're
27:35
probably still trying to lock him up too.
27:37
So he has, I think he has a lot of lot of different variables
27:40
going on on a constant basis, you know.
27:44
Yeah, it's his fourth season and like each year he's had 5.4 war,
27:50
4.3 war, 3.4 war, and now there's season a 1.5 war.
27:55
So yeah, yeah, it's it just, you know, there's a little bit of a
27:59
decline the last couple years, but.
28:02
I mean, I mean. But OK, I think we are
28:04
eventually. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
28:05
I think you'll be fine too. It's just, you know, it's just
28:08
one of them things like Jay said, it's it's just one of them
28:11
down years, I think. Exactly.
28:13
Team across the board and. It's not just like it's not just
28:16
him alone, like it's across the board.
28:18
So it's not like he's not like he's alone.
28:21
You know, he only drove him on. You drove in 2020, guys.
28:24
I mean, you know, twenty RBI's with eight homers.
28:26
Yeah, I mean. He's been banged up this year
28:30
like you know. Yeah, he's coming back from the
28:32
IL on Monday, I think. So, so it's just, yeah, I mean
28:35
the same. Thing, like I said, it's the big
28:37
leagues, you know, people get books on guys, guys have to make
28:40
adjustments and then you know, you have bad years as a big
28:43
league catcher. I mean that man, like Trey said,
28:46
he has a lot on this plate at all times anyway.
28:49
But the fact that, you know, he came in there and the team did
28:52
so well the first couple years, like I said, it's the big
28:56
leagues. Things happen.
28:57
People get the book on and then you have to figure what they
29:00
have on you and then adjust to that, but still keep within
29:02
yourself at the same time is such a different game at all
29:06
times that people really don't realize like it's a game within
29:09
a game within a game. Like all the time.
29:12
It's once you get to the highest level, it becomes true chess,
29:16
not checkers at that point, because like they have so much
29:19
info on you and then you have to assess the information.
29:22
Try to be beat them while beating like being the best
29:25
version of yourself. It gets to be a headache.
29:27
While he, like Trey said, he's on both sides of the ball too,
29:30
so now he's got to figure himself out while also trying to
29:34
get the other team out all the time too.
29:37
Yeah, it's not, it's not easy. It's not easy, especially being
29:40
back there. And again, like I'm, I'm saying
29:42
just about, you know, being able to switch it.
29:45
You know what I'm saying? It's the reason why they're
29:46
telling a lot of guys, you know, he shouldn't switch it no more.
29:50
They're telling guys not to switch it no more because they,
29:52
they don't see a value in it. It's like I see a value.
29:55
It's just that he's a switch hit and catcher.
29:57
That's a tall task, dude. Like it's huge, man.
30:00
I think you'd be OK. I, I, I, I personally think they
30:04
need to make one big splash. No, actually 2 on the pitching
30:09
in and a position player in, in the free agency.
30:12
Maybe it's like one or two years or something like that.
30:15
You know, I think they need to, they need, they need to take the
30:17
load off him because I know he's 27.
30:21
He's probably taking a bulk of the bulk of the leadership, you
30:24
know, I'm saying. So it's it's probably good just
30:27
to kind of like fall back just a little bit, you know, just catch
30:30
up. Well, I think what they need to
30:32
do and what could possibly be a huge thing that they could do
30:36
right now, I don't know if he'll do it, but they can go ahead and
30:39
try to lock him up. That will make it easier.
30:42
That would make it easier for, like you said, to get those free
30:45
agent science because then they can show, you know, what kind of
30:48
direction they're going and like, OK, we're building around
30:50
Adley, even though we already see that they're building around
30:53
Adley. But then truly feeling that
30:56
you're building around, then you can work away from there.
30:58
And that might take, again, that might take a phase of his
31:01
mindset off that he can now concentrate on just working on
31:05
the baseball aspect of it too. You see what I mean?
31:07
So, but again, I said the same thing about Vladdy and nobody
31:10
listened to me about that. And then you see where that got
31:12
him Now they, they had to pay, they had to pay that Vladdy an
31:16
extra daggum to 300 mil from what I from when I told him they
31:20
should inside him. So I mean, it is what it is.
31:23
And that's why I was just, you know, you're 100% spot on.
31:27
This is probably the best time to resign him.
31:30
Yeah. Well, well.
31:31
He's more affordable right now. Absolutely, absolutely get them
31:39
done now and then. You know, like you said, then
31:42
you got that direction you build around athletes.
31:45
You could probably get them for cheaper, like you were saying,
31:47
just because of, you know, the way he has, you know, and I get
31:51
he's got a lot on his plate like we've all discussed.
31:55
He's, you know. Well, the thing too.
31:57
Is, but go ahead. Well, I was gonna say the thing
32:00
too with that is too if you don't get him now and he doesn't
32:04
take it now too, like some guys might not.
32:07
And then like you said, you see how his numbers have declined a
32:10
little bit. Like he goes in the ARB.
32:12
His ARB numbers are still lower. Now he's starting to press again
32:15
too. So it's got to be a win win for
32:17
both sides. It can't be a disrespectful
32:19
offer. Oh, absolutely.
32:20
You know what I mean? Because like if he gets an, if
32:23
he gets. Smoking.
32:25
I can smell that bro. But I'm just saying, but I'm
32:27
just saying even if it, if it's not a disrespectful offer and
32:30
it's something that's good and he doesn't take it and he's
32:33
trying to get more out of it. You see what I'm saying?
32:35
Because that gets to the point where guys start getting greedy
32:38
too, right? And then you want more and then
32:40
he puts more pressure on himself and then he has more bad years.
32:43
And it kind of goes the Joey Gallo effect more than more
32:47
than, you know, the Vladimir Guerrero effect.
32:50
You see what I'm saying? There's cheaper and then there's
32:52
disrespectful, you know what I'm saying?
32:54
Like there's discount and then there's just flat out
32:57
disrespect. Lowball offer.
32:59
I don't think they'll give him a lowball offer, you know, but you
33:02
give him something that comfortable that both sides are
33:04
happy with, you know, and just. But then you got to go
33:07
historically, though, historically have have the
33:11
Orioles ever been active like that in free agency to where not
33:16
not in free agency, but even their homegrown, I mean, how
33:19
many, how many long term deals have they even passed out like
33:22
that? They're not they're not going to
33:23
be like the Mariners where they just going to lock up Julio
33:26
Rodriguez type like, you know what I'm saying?
33:28
I thought they're they're going to at one point with badly but.
33:33
They need to do that soon. Like, hey, here you go.
33:37
But that's a new, that's a new ownership that's but
33:39
historically is that the team that that can fit that role with
33:45
knocking up a guy like that? But that's the thing you've got
33:48
there too, right? Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
33:50
But that's the thing. They this is the chance where
33:52
they can turn that around, like you said, with new ownership and
33:55
everything else and show the fan base and show the people in
33:58
Baltimore that, hey, we didn't understand what you guys were
34:01
going through before. But we're going to do we're
34:03
going to try to do things the right way in a different way
34:05
than before, to go ahead and try to get this championship and
34:08
bring one over here to Baltimore and build something that's
34:11
sustained for these fans over here.
34:14
Because didn't they finish up the fight with the nationals
34:17
about the broadcasting rights and stuff too?
34:20
Yeah, so that's what I'm saying. So they're get so they're
34:22
showing that they're gonna they're being different than the
34:25
old owners anyway. So why don't you just keep it
34:27
going and keep that vibe going and be like, hey, we're going to
34:30
lock Adly up. We're going to try to lock
34:31
Gunner up. We're we got said locked up.
34:35
And we're going to see if we can go ahead and get him on the
34:37
right page too. And if not, maybe we'll get some
34:39
pics and go ahead and find his replacement as well for cheaper.
34:44
And then we can go again, put that money into adly, possibly
34:47
in Gunner, and then get some more free agents to show again
34:51
that we're going to try to be back in the AL East again real
34:54
soon. Because you can always change
34:56
the narrative. You know, look at the Jays,
34:58
right? The Jays always had that, you
35:01
know, mantra of like, you know, they, they didn't give out those
35:04
long term contracts. Well, they changed the narrative
35:06
when they signed flat this offseason.
35:08
So yeah, no, I'm with you, man. They they can always change that
35:12
narrative. You know, maybe this is the time
35:14
to do that with the new ownership, right?
35:18
Exactly, but it was the best time to do it.
35:21
Absolutely. Well said.
35:24
Said is not he. I mean said on your is only one
35:26
year contract right now. They didn't really they didn't
35:28
lock him up. So, I mean, you're probably, I
35:31
mean, I'm just going to be honest, you're, you're probably
35:34
going to lose, said in free agency.
35:36
For sure get traded at the trade deadline most likely.
35:39
Yeah, yeah, because I mean, they're they're going to be tool
35:42
up like, you know, I'm saying they can probably.
35:45
I mean, I wouldn't mind, I wouldn't mind seeing them
35:47
dumped. I mean, I wouldn't I wouldn't
35:49
say that, but they I could see them getting rid of him and
35:53
trading for a guy like Brendan Doyle over there with the
35:56
Rockies. Like, you know, I'm saying like
36:01
that's huge, bro. Like that's not going to I mean,
36:03
that's around. I'll have an outfielder like
36:07
that for sure, you know. I could see that.
36:13
I could see that working. But I mean, you got to look at
36:16
even if Said leave with the trade deadline, like what are
36:18
they going to get back for Said right now when you know, you
36:21
look at his numbers right now, he's in 217 with 14 and 45.
36:25
Like you know what I mean? Where?
36:27
Do you projection and I mean you're going up projection what
36:29
he did in the past. I mean he's a 3030 guy.
36:31
He's going to give you some good, He's going to give you
36:33
some good outfield work. He just needs to go to a team
36:36
that's actually contending on the other side.
36:39
So where do you send him now? You.
36:43
Can't 'cause like you said, you can, how are you going to get
36:45
the trade for Doyle if you're getting rid of Said, Like where
36:48
he said and said to be able to get rid of get Doyle, Doyle's
36:52
under you, you would, you would have to do a three team or you
36:55
would have to get rid of Said and then find, yeah, another
36:58
trade piece for the Rockies to give you Doyle.
37:01
And they're not going to give up Doyle for that, right?
37:03
So, but you gotta realize. The same thing you could give
37:06
up. You could.
37:06
The Orioles could give up some of their pitching to get Doyle,
37:09
possibly. You see what I'm saying?
37:12
But then I think, I think what could happen.
37:14
And like, I hate that I'm saying this right now because I could
37:18
see the I can see the Dodgers swooping upset and then giving
37:26
some pieces back to the Orioles and the Orioles with nose pieces
37:29
for Doyle later. Yeah, yeah.
37:33
I mean, it's Orioles you have to get.
37:36
You have to get ball AA prospects.
37:38
They don't want no big leaguers. They shouldn't want a big
37:41
leaguer. They.
37:42
Should, but they should they should want a big leaguer in a
37:44
couple prospects for door if you're going to try to build
37:47
around them, you see Yeah, yeah, I.
37:49
Mean if I'm a GM for the Rockies, I'm getting a whole
37:51
minor league system for door. I am.
37:54
Doing that, I need. I need, because no, I have to
37:56
get a big leaguer at this point too for somebody to draw people
38:01
back to the stadium. But it doesn't matter if you're
38:03
competing. You got to think about the fan
38:04
base though. The fans are coming there
38:06
probably to see Doyle most likely as one of the main guys
38:10
since they got rid of Charlie. You see what I mean?
38:12
Because they're trying to build around Doyle too.
38:14
So you have to get someone else that can come in there and
38:17
revitalize that franchise while also getting some minor league
38:20
prospects. You can't just get rid of Doyle
38:22
and expect that fan base to be like, hey, like we're just going
38:25
to wait for this next crop of players when we're playing like
38:27
trash still like we were playing like trash the past couple
38:30
years. Then they don't.
38:31
Have anybody left? They don't have anybody.
38:33
Left at all, but that's what I'm but that's what I'm saying.
38:35
So you have to get somebody to replace that.
38:38
You can't just be like, hey, I'm just going to get more minor
38:40
leaguers and they they're playing pretty much all minor
38:43
leaguers right now. Like no disrespect to the guys
38:47
that's over there, but like they're not playing very
38:51
competitive baseball from what it looks like, you know what I
38:54
mean? Like I'm looking at the numbers
38:55
right now. They have a 5-6 ERA right now,
38:58
you know what I mean? They're at the bottom.
39:00
They have a 16, almost a 16 WHIP right now.
39:04
And I get they play in Colorado, but like they're batting average
39:07
against like the A's are playing in Sacramento, They're playing
39:10
in an actual AAA ballpark. And the Rockies batting average
39:14
against right now is 295. Like you see what I mean?
39:17
And then you look at this is. Just Dome court course field.
39:20
This is just Dome it. It's not even that I think
39:23
that's just literally like, but we, I think we talked, but I
39:27
think we talked about it before is I think me and Trey talked
39:30
about it before too though is they don't get rid of any other
39:34
coaches and try to mix it up and change the philosophy there a
39:37
lot of times. Like, they keep the same people
39:39
there and then win or lose. Like they just recently got rid
39:42
of Bud Black. And like, when was the last time
39:44
they had a winning season with Bud Black?
39:46
But yeah, he's still in the building as like a pitching like
39:50
or some part of the organization.
39:53
And you have Clint Hurdle there as like one of the hitting guys.
39:55
Like they don't get rid of the people to change their mouth to
39:58
get a new voice to start for again to retool and start fresh
40:03
like you can do. With, like, the Orioles could
40:07
do, like, they could do the same thing, but they just refused to
40:10
do it every year. Like when they traded Arenado,
40:13
that was like the last thing that they needed to do.
40:16
You're like, OK, like, are you going to retool the team now and
40:20
make us better or what? And they didn't.
40:24
Like, they just kept the same people there.
40:25
Didn't really make any true moves after that and the team
40:29
didn't get better. Out of those three teams, out of
40:32
the three teams that that they had the firings this year, who
40:35
will who will return to the playoffs faster?
40:38
I think the Rockies return to the playoffs faster because.
40:41
Between who? Between between, let's just say
40:44
between the Pirates and the Pirates and the Rockies.
40:47
The Rockies will make it to the playoffs faster than the
40:49
Rockies, I mean. No chance.
40:50
Than the pirates. No, they're not afraid.
40:53
Money on their homegrown they will come up.
40:58
Think of the Rockies homegrown about that.
41:00
They can spend money on them. They still they still been good.
41:03
They still haven't been good. But you see, I'm saying they
41:06
still have they still. Have the catcher.
41:08
Hunter Goodmans 1. Ezekiel Tovar is another one.
41:12
They've overpaid for Chris Bryant.
41:13
That's not a good signing at all, right?
41:16
They need pitching. Yeah, they need pitching, but a
41:19
lot of pitchers are scared to go there and they're again like.
41:22
Yeah, they're worried that they. Cannot.
41:24
That's another place I feel. Like that's another place I feel
41:27
like they should just hire me as their pitching coach.
41:30
I could get people to come there and I think we could win game
41:32
and I could fix. I could fix the whole, I could
41:34
fix the whole philosophy over there.
41:36
I'm just saying like I really believe I could.
41:38
You guys are high spin racing sliders bro that's it.
41:43
I wouldn't like, I think just the philosophy I would have over
41:46
there, which is just be able to like, get the job done and have
41:50
it at least better than what they're doing right now.
41:53
You know what I mean? Yeah.
41:56
I mean, they used to compete, that's what.
41:58
I'm saying the. Black was they were in that they
42:00
were in the last playoff. Parents were like what, 17?
42:02
And they had everybody, you know what I'm saying?
42:04
But it's just, it just seems like they're just missing that
42:07
pitching piece. Like you said, bro, like it's
42:10
hard for it's hard to get guys that come over there to come to
42:13
the course field, but they have to adapt that and they have to,
42:17
I mean, it's it's the same people that come in there and
42:19
play like throughout the whole league, especially your
42:21
division, like right, they got to play here too.
42:23
So you guys got to figure it out.
42:24
Like, you know, I'm saying you can't just keep with the same
42:27
old, like same old donut. You better go and get something
42:30
else like a bagel or something. Like you can't do the same.
42:34
But like we just said, like, like I just said, if they don't
42:36
change anybody and it's the Major League, then you have the
42:39
book on people. If you keep the same people and
42:41
don't change it up or get at least the same people that are
42:44
in there, change their mentality and not do the same things, then
42:49
what other like options are you going to really have?
42:52
You know what I mean? Because I'm like looking at it
42:54
right now, they're like I said, pretty much at the the last two
42:58
in all the pitching categories, but in batting average, they're
43:01
25th. You know what I mean?
43:03
Home runs, home runs, their 22nd RB is they're Jesus.
43:12
They're 29th in RB is so obviously they're not driving
43:15
people in as much as they should, but like, you know what
43:18
I mean? Like they're slugging an on base
43:21
percentage, They're 26. So again, it's the pitching
43:24
component at that. And then, you know, you trick
43:27
yourself into going over there and saying that it's bad and it
43:30
is bad at times. But you know, you give people
43:34
excuses and they just kind of take them.
43:35
And then it is like, hey, we're home this many games.
43:38
And then you lose half your home games and then it's like, all
43:40
right, it's too late now. Season stuff.
43:46
I mean, they should just go back to the 98 Colorado Rockies.
43:48
They just have two guys that hit 50 home rounds.
43:51
Oh. My goodness.
43:53
There's just no anger, guys. As I said, just absolute danger.
43:58
Let me let me mention another team here.
44:00
Let me ask the next question because we're talking about
44:02
teams are bad right now. And Jay, you kind of called this
44:05
man and you saw this from afar and you predicted this that
44:09
they're not going to be good this year, but next year they
44:11
could be a different team is the Atlanta Braves.
44:13
And man, I I don't know what like I I thought they were off
44:20
to a bad start. Maybe compete for the wild card
44:23
Robin. I had him winning the division,
44:24
but man, what? What?
44:26
Like Jay, How? Bad in my job did.
44:28
You see this how did? You see this?
44:31
How did you see? This and what what can be fixed
44:34
for next year. You know Alex is going to do
44:37
some work. You know how he is?
44:39
He's a, he's a he's, he's a guy who's aggressive.
44:41
So like, how? How did you see this coming?
44:46
I mean, just the move they were making and like again, that's
44:50
the major leagues. There's bound to be a down year.
44:52
But again, those guys had injuries at the beginning of the
44:56
year. They had some big injuries at
44:57
the beginning of your year. They didn't fill truly any of
44:59
their holes either. Like I said, them losing Darnell
45:02
was huge. Not having a Cumia to start, son
45:06
was out to start. They lost Charlie Spencer
45:09
Strider without, you know what I mean?
45:12
Like they, they were all over the place.
45:14
There's a lot of stuff going on that you know that they couldn't
45:18
control, but it's just that division is just that tough too.
45:23
Yeah, there's no slouch. There's no slouch division, like
45:25
you said, man. Like, I mean, you got Philly and
45:28
the Mets just go ahead and just head butting each other every
45:32
time, man. Like they they're they're
45:33
running over everybody. I mean, I that's why I feel.
45:36
But you're right though, you're right about that.
45:38
They don't really have that many key pieces.
45:41
I think I think it's also that that you look at their
45:45
offseason, I think Jay, your mic is muted, but what's that?
45:49
Yeah, they're the offseason. It's just the way, like you
45:52
said, they didn't do enough. And you look at you look at the
45:57
way their injuries has gone now. And more recently, Chris Sale
46:00
with the fractured rib and then Spencer Schwellenbach was he's
46:04
probably the most promising pitcher, probably the best
46:07
pitcher, if you could argue with Strider, he's playing better
46:10
lately. I think Grant Holmes is the most
46:13
the latest guy who's going on the IL And I was told that it's
46:16
not good. But that depth I think was an
46:20
issue a little bit too, like you said that I am.
46:23
And Acuna obviously was on the IL and and their offense hasn't
46:27
been good. I I just don't understand what
46:32
went wrong. They hired Tim Hires, who was
46:35
fired from the Rangers last year and they fired Seitzer.
46:39
I didn't understand. I still question that.
46:41
Now he's with Seattle. Their offense a little bit
46:43
better this year. That's my question.
46:46
It's like why did their offense was a problem?
46:48
And another name I want to mention is Ozzy.
46:50
Albee's like very, very bizarre year for him.
46:55
He was known to be one of the best second baseman in the sport
46:59
and the fact that. He.
47:02
He. Was off to a very, very slow
47:04
start. There were some issues with
47:05
them. I think he was affected from
47:08
that injury last year. That wrist fracture didn't seem
47:11
like the same point, but he's starting to play a little bit
47:12
better so that there are question marks.
47:14
But I they could bounce back next year like you said, Jay,
47:17
so. No, 100%.
47:19
I mean, they're definitely going to bounce back next year.
47:21
But I mean, like you, we were talking about it before like
47:24
they have Pierce and then they had who else who got Joe got
47:29
hurt, right? Joe started the year on the like
47:31
their bullpen and all the money that they had invested in all
47:34
these guys kind of they couldn't use a lot of their guys that
47:38
they had planned on using for 2-3 years.
47:41
They just, you know, I think they kind of understood it too.
47:44
That's why these guys got these two and three and four year
47:47
deals just because they're like, hey, one of these years is going
47:50
to be kind of a wash and hopefully kind of like it is,
47:54
it's all a wash and everybody's kind of getting hurt in the same
47:57
year, right? So they're like, OK, we can just
47:59
build from this year. Everybody sees what mistakes
48:01
they need to make and what they've made and we can retool
48:04
and restart next year and you guys don't have to really worry
48:07
about it. Like we're out of like we can
48:09
make adjustments and just start playing to go for next year at
48:12
this point. And I think again, I think the
48:16
injuries at the beginning of being in this division kind of
48:19
like really hurt. I think that was the main thing.
48:24
And and go go ahead, Trevor. Not in the hot I I agree with
48:29
JC. Like, yeah, I mean, they just
48:32
just, they're missing some key pieces, man.
48:34
They're just not. And, and some of the guys that
48:36
usually they, they, they expect to step up, step up, you know,
48:40
like the injuries and stuff like that I'm looking at.
48:42
Suspension suspension. You forgot profile got got
48:45
funded for AU2. Yeah, I think I.
48:47
Think that was it. I think that was more of a huge
48:51
that was a huge blow to I mean he's like 24 games just got
48:54
back, but you know that that was a huge blow because that was
48:59
just a key piece to him being left field too man like and you
49:02
got him. They, they expected to have him,
49:05
Okuna and and her money Mike in the center field.
49:08
So man, like I, I just think, I just think they'll be back.
49:13
They'll be back next year. They'll be back next year.
49:15
They'll be all restart, you know I'm saying.
49:17
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I think that the the pieces
49:20
they're putting together right now and how they're moving,
49:23
they'll be back next year. Like you said, there's Olsen
49:25
still under contract next year, Riley still under contract,
49:27
Alby's is still under contract. Acuna Harris, you know, all
49:31
these guys are still under contract.
49:33
Their main core of guys are still under contract and a A's
49:36
done a great job of that. And he can build around those.
49:38
He can plug pieces around those guys that those guys make the
49:41
adjustments like they normally do and like they probably will.
49:45
And it's just again, it's a mindset thing.
49:47
I think if they go into this offseason and go into the
49:50
second-half and into the offseason with the right mindset
49:54
of how to use what's going on so far, like play aggressive the
49:57
rest of the second-half. Fix your mistakes, learn from
50:00
what guys are doing to you and actually just hone in on certain
50:04
things to make themselves better.
50:06
So the adjustments that they need to make during the
50:07
offseason, they don't need to like RE like just revamp
50:11
anything. They're just adding to the
50:13
adjustments they're already making.
50:14
So next year they know exactly what they're doing.
50:17
Then they come in as better players.
50:19
But I mean, time will tell. I think a, a, like you said,
50:22
it'll find some pieces to put along with them.
50:24
You got Christel, you got Swellenbach, you know, you got
50:28
some pitching that you have cut. You got Strider for you got
50:31
Dylan Lee, you got right now you got here's like I said, you got
50:34
Joe coming back next year. You know, you got Rodrigo.
50:38
They just got Feedy. Yeah, you got Bryce Elder down
50:42
there still. You got Dylan.
50:44
They got a bunch of guys. You got Aaron Bummer still like
50:47
they still have a bunch of guys that they can use going forward.
50:51
Yeah. So you still have a bunch of
50:53
guys you can use going forward. And it's just like I said, how
50:55
you can take the second-half going into the offseason to get
50:57
ready for next year. And like I said before, the NL E
51:01
being the NL East, there's going to be a couple teams that are
51:04
playing deep into the playoffs. So using that to your advantage
51:08
to going into the first half of next year, like seeing who's
51:11
there and then be like, OK, like, they're going to be tired
51:14
this first half. Let's go ahead and get out into
51:16
a big league and do what we need to do so we can start playing
51:20
our brand of baseball again. They're going to, they're going
51:23
to, they're going to dump Mozuna for some pitch watch. 100% yeah,
51:27
they're. Going to have to get a young guy
51:30
and they should, like you said, yeah, I think they're going to
51:33
have to get a couple young arms, you know, or, or one arm or two
51:38
arms, whatever. But they're going to have to,
51:40
they're going to have to. You're going to have to move
51:43
them. Yeah, he can control his he can
51:46
control his destiny too, right with the tenant fight right.
51:50
So it'll you know, it'll be interesting to see where he
51:54
where he approves them to, to allow him to trade him to a
51:58
team. But I I agree, I think he's the
52:00
guy you have to move. Do they move in Aaron?
52:03
Bummer. Do they move a Pierce Johnson to
52:06
accrue some more prospects? But I don't think I think that's
52:09
why when Chris Sale was healthy that a a was so adamant that
52:14
we're not trading Chris Sale. You know, like there's no need
52:17
to go that far with it because like you said earlier, Jay,
52:22
they're just one of them teams. They're kind of like Baltimore.
52:25
They're just having an off year. You know, they're they're they
52:29
they got all the talent in the world.
52:30
They started the year with a CUNY on the shelf.
52:33
You know, you have all these injuries.
52:35
It's just like it's just one big wash for them this year.
52:39
So you just reset, go back into to the drawing board next year
52:44
and they'll be fine. Like like they're gonna compete
52:47
in that division no problem. You know, and snicker and you
52:51
know he won't be back too. And I think he's, you know,
52:54
he's. Will be.
52:55
You think he will be? Really, I think he will.
52:57
Be I think he will be. That's interesting because
52:59
again, I don't think this year falls on his shoulders as much
53:01
as. As much as I'm not, I'm not.
53:04
I just think he does either, yeah.
53:06
I just think he'll be back to give it one more check because I
53:07
don't think he'll want to end his coaching careers, managerial
53:11
career with the kind of a year like this going into a you know,
53:14
I think worst case scenario, he finishes this year out and then
53:18
goes into next year and then sees how like it.
53:21
Is it like the All Star breaker, like a Brandon Hyde situation
53:24
where if they start off slow again, then Snickers gone?
53:27
You see what I'm saying? I don't.
53:29
Think that I hear you. I don't think, I don't think
53:31
that he's gonna like let this be the year.
53:33
He's like, I'm done coaching or I'm not gonna sign again, like,
53:36
you know what I mean? I don't think they're gonna let
53:38
him go just after this year either, you know what I mean?
53:40
I think they're gonna put something.
53:41
I think the. Braves get a little bit more
53:43
respect. I don't think they're gonna let
53:44
him go during the year though. No, no, no, I don't think they
53:48
are either. I was just suggesting that maybe
53:50
he just, you know, I don't want. I don't think I don't.
53:55
Think it's his fault. I just think I just think he was
53:58
just, you know, I think they were just gonna mutually part
54:00
ways at the end of the year. He just I mean, I mean ever
54:03
since that whole fiasco with Kellen IK and him saying he
54:07
didn't see what happened, he just looks mentally checked out
54:11
to me. I don't know, It's just I, I
54:14
guess it's just a personal opinion, but I've talked to some
54:18
Braves fans just feel the same and I think.
54:20
That's just the season that they're having though.
54:23
You know, you haven't seen like this where it's a wash anyway.
54:26
As a manager, you're like, OK, I know it's a wash to you.
54:28
I got to keep the guys. But he's just like, you know,
54:31
like these dudes are going to do this ridiculous stuff right now
54:34
because they feel it too kind of thing.
54:36
And I think that. And I think that he goes into
54:39
the offseason, like you said, maybe some mutual thing where
54:41
they're like, hey, this is what's happening.
54:44
This is how we see the next year playing out.
54:46
And like I said, if they end up getting off to a slow start
54:50
where they have the full gambit of guys, where they have the
54:52
full team and they get off to a slow start again, then then they
54:57
let him go. And at that time it might be a
54:59
mutual, mutual thing where it's like he goes in there and it's
55:02
like, hey, maybe the team needs a new voice.
55:04
Maybe we can make this a respectable like, you know, we
55:07
leave on good terms on both sides.
55:09
I fall off and kind of like the Bud Black in Colorado thing, you
55:13
know what I mean? Like, hey, I can go to the front
55:16
office or I can be an assistant, like special assistant or
55:19
something like that to help with the guides and still be around,
55:22
but I'm not the voice of the team anymore type of thing.
55:25
And then, you know, they fade off into the sunset and then the
55:28
Braves either get hot or they figure out what they want to do
55:31
next. You know, you know, I wonder
55:35
like like you said, like you know, there was all this
55:38
speculation about Cunha because I believe he's a free agent
55:42
after what, 28 and you know, the contract is very friendly.
55:47
He see with Alex, he likes to sign team friendly contracts and
55:52
also whenever he wants to acquire a player, he never gets
55:56
rentals. He likes to go after players
55:58
with term. So he's probably thinking about
56:01
a long term solution, right? But I think in my opinion, you
56:05
got to get an extension for a Cunha, make a make him a brazed
56:09
lifer. I think it's just a vacuum.
56:12
You have to You have to I, don't I?
56:13
Don't think I don't think you have to.
56:15
Really. Why not?
56:18
I don't think you have to let. I think you let him play his
56:19
contract out, see where he's at and then.
56:23
Is it health? Wise too, health wise too, but
56:27
the way he plays and all that, like is he going to have to move
56:31
positions too? And then think about like how
56:33
much he and honestly, I look at his swing and look at how much
56:36
he generates through his lower half and stuff as he gets older,
56:39
that's going to be harder to do too.
56:42
So are you going to want to again, he cited team friendly
56:45
Dilford. What, like 10?
56:48
It was like 10 years. Right, eight years for 100
56:50
million. So you got him for eight, you
56:53
see where he's at it after the 8:00 and if he's still playing
56:56
at the same caliber, then that year before you possibly instead
57:01
of paying again like 8, like you're talking about 88 things
57:04
about the long term. Instead of paying that absorbent
57:06
amount of money that you're going to end up having to pay
57:09
him, you get a guy that's term that could be the face of the
57:13
franchise again for the next probably 5 to 6 years for rental
57:18
of a Cunha for half a year for a team that's in the playoffs or
57:21
something like that. You get a face of a franchise
57:23
plus some prospects or whatever else and you turn that around
57:27
and then you still have Mike coming through after that.
57:30
So you could actually end up, if Mike turns out being what you
57:33
want Mike to be, you can end up extending Mike for less than you
57:36
could extend a Cunha and get a face of the franchise, put him
57:38
out there as well, get some more prospects and not lose a beat on
57:43
the team and keep the team like winning for another greater
57:47
longer period of time instead of putting all that money into a
57:49
Cunha after that for a free agent year.
57:52
You don't think you'd have to have a hard time selling that to
57:55
the fan base? So to trade a Cunha.
57:58
Is the Braves fan base as long as they're winning?
58:00
I don't think so. The Braves think about the
58:02
thing. That's what I'm saying like as a
58:03
Braves thing, as the Braves winning though, as the Braves
58:07
fan growing up, even if you're winning, I mean, I mean as a
58:10
Braves fan growing up, I mean you look at the Braves, like how
58:13
many stars have come through there and like for sure like and
58:17
they and they've left and as long as the Braves have been
58:19
winning, then they're like, okay, we're good.
58:21
Like your team of the 90s, like they've won the NLS when I was
58:25
there too, for what it was like 7 straight years, it didn't
58:28
matter who they were bringing through there.
58:30
So I think if you can get, if you take a Cunha in that
58:33
situation and you can move him for another face and get some
58:37
prospects and you. Already have your course?
58:40
That's what I'm saying, like you're not getting rid of them
58:42
for anybody. It's I'm getting rid of them for
58:44
some miles that can come in here, be there for another four
58:47
to five years per SE. You know what I mean?
58:50
It's not like I'm getting rid of Ronald or somebody that's going
58:53
to be another Reynold that's going to be a face and that's
58:55
going to leave. It's going to be somebody that's
58:56
going to be great, good at that time, or an up and coming star
58:59
that might be on a team friendly deal for another team that can
59:02
be the face of the Braves to go along with the rest of the core
59:05
that's still already locked up for the next 4 years anyway.
59:10
You know, it's so it's so interesting to say that you said
59:14
that because like there was been reports out there and I don't
59:18
know where the ownership stands. I know there was some reports
59:21
like a team like a like the Brewers have the assets to go
59:25
get get them. I know there was reports about
59:28
Toronto going out from a few years ago and that included boba
59:31
shit at Alejandro Kirk and, and the Braves people said no do you
59:36
cannot do that trade at that. And that's was like 3 years ago.
59:39
So I mean, anything is possible. You, you are, you're right.
59:42
So but I think, you know, with this buddies like for Fernando
59:48
Tati said and now Vlad just got signed and Juan Soto got that
59:52
massive contract. You know, Ronald's like I took a
59:57
big discount to be here with the Braves and I know that.
1:00:02
He has baseball family and I think Michael Garcia is his
1:00:05
cousin too, I believe. But so it's like for him, it's
1:00:09
like, I don't know where they stayed.
1:00:10
I'm sure that they're going to attempt to do it.
1:00:13
I'm sure because Alex likes to retain guys knowing what he's
1:00:17
all about. He likes term.
1:00:18
He likes to keep guys and he doesn't want trade guys that are
1:00:22
under term. Like you saw what they gave to
1:00:24
Matt Olson, they gave to Riley, they gave to Harris Strider,
1:00:28
right? So I mean, he's done it.
1:00:30
So we'll, we'll see how this plays out.
1:00:33
It's a, it's a, it's a fascinating story to see what
1:00:36
the Braves do with this trade deadline, what they do in the
1:00:38
offseason. Yeah, I I just think that Ronald
1:00:42
can out price himself. You see what I mean?
1:00:44
Like 'cause like you said, he likes to keep guys and then
1:00:46
retain guys and extend guys to term, but he likes to have team
1:00:49
friendly deals on that thing too.
1:00:51
He doesn't like to overextend necessarily because I think he
1:00:55
saw that that's what happened to him and that's kind of bit him
1:00:58
in a couple other times, you know what I mean?
1:01:00
So he wants to try to get a team friendly deal.
1:01:02
And like you said, Ronald took a team friendly deal in the 1st
1:01:05
place. I don't think he's willing to
1:01:06
take another one. So that being said, you know,
1:01:10
you get to, you know, Ronald has a year left on this team
1:01:13
friendly deal or a year and a half per SE.
1:01:18
And you can possibly get somebody that has, if you can't
1:01:21
extend them for the number you want to necessarily, then you
1:01:26
know, you go start looking at, hey, there's somebody that has a
1:01:29
team friendly deal or has a great deal that's a 5-6 year
1:01:33
deal and Robbins only got 2 years left.
1:01:36
We get another 4 with this other guy plus our core.
1:01:39
Then it works out better. Plus we can get some prospects
1:01:41
or a couple pitchers to fill in the gaps that we need.
1:01:44
You know, some starting pitching prospects are here and there,
1:01:46
something like that that I think I could see that happening very
1:01:49
easily or out to the. Yeah, like you said, he is a
1:01:54
little bit more expensive. He is former MVP so.
1:02:02
So still ask the next question.