Toby bell Ringer. Welcome to Backflip a Nerds. Hello, and welcome to
Backflips and Nerds, the Baseball Podcast with a British twist. Man. I'm
your host this week, John McGee, and this is going to be a
special trade deadline episode because we're just over i think exactly a week away from
that pivotal date in the baseball calendar where everything gets sown in the air and
we all get very excited about Jeff Passon breaking things that aren't is back.
God bless you, Jeff. I hope you, hope you're keeping well.
So we're gonna have a little bit of look ahead about what might happen in
the next week already not happen, focusing on some of the teams that interest
us. This is I think an interesting trade deadline. Whether or not it's
a active deadline will remain to be seen. And I've got two of the
finest baseball minds on this side of the big old Pond to help work through
this with me. First, we've got Russell. Mister Russell Easam, how
the devil are you? My good man? I'm too good. Thanks John.
I was part of the fine British baseball players who decided to stand in
the cold, wet for four hours trying to play baseball games on Saturday yesterday
and decided just to drink in the pub instead. So yeah, it was.
The Summer Cup was good fun. But Sunday or Sunday was much better
weatherwise than Saturday. The Summer Cups are in the pub. We were better
than the Summer Cup. Yeah, that's an event. We went a boat
race to try and determine the winner of one of our games. It was
not upheld by the BBF later on, but candalous that that wasn't upheld,
Absolutely scandalous. And I don't know if the bar for Shenanigans this weekend will
be will be cleared by my next guest, mister Darrius Austin. What did
you do on the weekend? Any boat races? Zero boat races. I
did have a little try dive in the quarry at clan Barrs, which was
the first to me, but no no boat races there you go. I
went to a brewery, so Russell and I were kindred spirits at the weekend.
That was not planned. I was supposed I was in the peak district
and supposed to be going hiking, but looked out of the window on Saturday
morning was like, well, let's find a plan B. And it was
a brewery, which was quite a good plan B. Yes, so we're
going to jump into the trade deadline in a minute, but before we do
that, there's something that we probably should have been doing more regularly is talking
about what's on the website, because there's some brilliant stuff on the website right
now, loads of brilliant contributors who are putting a lot of work in to
provide the best quality of baseball analysis here in the UK week in, week
out. Some great stuff over there right now, and some more stuff in
the pipeline. Just to sort of draw your eyes to a couple of pieces,
there's a fantastic piece and Charlie Deeks summing up the first half of the
season for the juggernaut that is the Atlanta Braves. You know, I can't
imagine that was the most difficult thing to write, Charlie. It's always nice
to write about your team when they're good, but hey, why not make
hay when the sun shines. And also there's a couple of really nice pieces
from Brett Walker, who's been out in the Pacific Northwest visiting a bunch of
teams, including the Eugene Emeralds. And he's got a really nice piece up
on the site about his time out and Eugene that's really well worth a look.
And yeah, there's rumors about that even I might have written something for
the site. Clearly, clearly somebody was getting on at me. So watch
this space for that over the next couple of weeks or so. Yeah,
guys, Trade Deadline with a twist. As usual, we don't don't.
We don't do anything straightforwardly on this podcast, do we. So we're going
to do a bit of Trade deadline hokey koke. So for those of you
of a certain age in the UK who have been to a number of school
discos, you'll know exactly what I mean. You'll know all about it being
in out and shaking it all about. But for us listeners and listeners from
different countries, that's a song that you may not know. It's a perennial
of children's birthday parties in the UK, and that's exactly what you have to
do. You have to follow the actions. You're either in the circle,
you're out of the circle. Are you shaking it all about whatever it is
was never discerned, probably for the best. So we're going to do hokey
koke baseball trade deadline, and we're going to talk about some teams we think
are in very much going to be making the big trades and picking up the
players and try and getting themselves over the humps for the playoffs. Teams that
are out, they are gonna be selling it off, stacking him, high
selling him, hopefully not too cheap, and then shake it all about teams
who they're interesting. But we haven't really got a clue what's going to happen.
And it could be a bit of this and a bit of that,
or at least that's one interpretation. Russell, you had a slightly different interpretation,
which which was also good. So I don't know whether we surface that
now or we just get I think you just cause chaos later on, mate,
I think I think take it as you find it. Oh yeah,
it's fine. So who wants to start, Darius? How about we start
with you and you know, let's do it in classic hokey cookee order.
Let's go with the Inns first. Yeah, so my inn is not surprised
to anyone, but I've gone with the Texas Rangers. They've had the leading
the division basically pretty much all year. But the Astros are now right there.
George Martin has popped over to the US and set the team on fire.
And you know, if you're the Rangers front office, if you're Chris
Young, you're looking there and you're thinking, you know, we can't.
We can't give this up to Houston again. We don't want to. We
don't want to be a wild card getting that mix with the other AARIS teams.
I think they want this division. They've made a lot of moves over
the past couple of years to signal their intent, and I think they're just
going to try and cement that as much as they can. There's guys here.
It's just absolutely astounding to me that they've got nineteen starts out of if
Aldi, of Gray, of Heeney so far. It's not going to last.
Like most of these guys have made thirty starts once, maybe twice in
their careers. I think they're going to need some help on the pitching side.
The bullpen has been looking shaky this week. They made that Chapman trade
obviously, but I think boatch. She is short of guys he trusts at
the back of the bullpen there. And as much as things have worked out
for them, you know, we thought the offense was a bit short.
They are still you know, they're carrying Brad Miller, They're carrying Josh Smith
out there. It's not like, you know, you're not looking at that
bench going wow. The Rangers are stacked and Corey Seeger is back on the
ile again. So while Ezeki or Duran has you know, filled in admirably,
he's been a great fine for them this season. That I just think
they want a little bit more depth there. They want somebody else they can
count on in the rotation with the grom Gom and I think they just want
to, you know, finally take this division crown away from the Astroids.
So I think the Rangers are going to make a couple more moves to try
and shore them up in this stretch run. Yeah, Valdi skipped his last
start, didn't he And his velocities are looking yeah, they've been trending worryingly
downwards. And you know he's always got If he's hitting ninety five, you're
like, you're I'm in a good place and once it starts creeping down below
that we're getting to the ninety three ninety four range, things don't turn out
as well for him. So yeah, I think there's going to be some
management going forwards. And yeah, if they could get like a dependable starter,
you know, I'm sure they'd love to go in and get a Lansley
and or Lucas Gielito or somebody of that caliber. But I think, you
know, anybody they could count on to just eat some innings and know that
they're going to be there at the end of the seasons. I think it's
going to be useful for them. Yeah, Russell, It's it's starting to
look a little bit less rosy for them now, isn't it. I mean
that the Astro's rise felt inevitable. We didn't think that it was going to
be George. They would precipitate it. But yeah, this has been coming
in terms of the Astros getting on level pegging, pegging with the Rangers,
and as Darius said that the Rangers kind of need to win this division.
That's their best shots, isn't it. Yeah. I think with the power
that we are seeing across the Al East, like having to try and deal
with getting a wildcard is a scary outcome. I think it might very well
be a similar number of games actually to winning this division compared to getting a
wildcard. But yeah, as Darius has said, starting pitching has probably got
to be their focus. I'd really love another decent bat in the outfield.
I think the last few weeks Ezekiel Duran has has really tailed off from his
going to start to the season where he looked pretty pretty ama And so anytime
that they're still having to give some abies to like Robbie Grossman is not a
good sign. So some sort of like outfield bat would be I think would
be useful for to them as well. Obviously, the the show Hey,
of it all is like that's something which I think would would add perfectly of
it. I love it, like I'm just going to see it on the
first team, like everybody can take show Hey, like everybody would one show
Hey. Whether the Angel's going to sell him, I think Marino is probably
actually just going to stick on him from now just as the final kind of
like if you to all Angels fans, it's just so you know what,
We're gonna get nothing from it, but let's enjoy the ride. But yeah,
I think they've got to They've got to do I think at least one
starter, at least one reasonable starter, they've got to get him. Yeah,
I mean inclined to agree. Um, so yeah, there we go.
That's our Our first in is going to be the Texas Rangers. If
you were, if you guys were making bets or making predictions, who do
you think they're big deadline acquisition? Might be? Darius? How about you?
I wonder, like I think they'd feel great going after, you know,
a real shutdown reliever. I don't know what the Pidres are going to
do, but it will come onto them. But you know, Hayder is
an interesting candidate in that regard. Maybe they go a step down from that
and go off and get David Robertson from the Mets. I think he's a
pretty likely guy to get traded. But yeah, I think that would be
a nice, nice move for them and on them. Maybe on the starter
side, somebody like George Montgomery I think would be a nice fit. He's,
you know, very reliable, but just a lot of innings every year.
And when they get to the end of the season, and I'm sure
they hope to be in the playoffs. I think they're going to want somebody
who has actually, you know, thrown one hundred and seventy one hundred evenings
relatively recently. What about you, Russell, who do you see them as
their biggest I think they're still going to try and do things for the next
few seasons as well. So I think if they pick people up, I
think they might not go for rentals. They think they might pick up people
who have got like at least another year on their contract, so I would
see a very interesting I think they'll get Edward and Rodriyez. I think they'll
offer something to Detroit from a prospect perspective that will give them another arm that
we don't know how long it will actually last. Four I like it.
I like it. Okay, Russell, over to you for for your your
pick. Yes, But in so I chose the Milwaukee Brewers. I think
obviously they are sat atop there deficius right now. I actually have to double
check with us right or because them and the Reds have been pigging backwards and
forwards by half a game. I think it's by half a game. Yeah,
had to double check because it didn't look at last night scores um,
yeah, but they have some very very obvious holes in that team, and
it pretty much all comes on the side of the offense. I think they
have god awful a production from first, second, and third projective for the
rest of the season, even if you kind of think how what they're actually
going to do. So they really need to fill one, two with the
all three of those holes to actually do that. They probably also need some
outfield heart help as well. But we can't really go into the trade trade
deadline going like, well, we're going to change five of our starting nine.
I don't think that's a reasonable approach to kind of take into this.
But yes, we already know the Brewers that have a strength position when it
comes to that. Their pitching is good from a from like a starting perspective,
and the relief perspective, I don't quite think it's as good as it
was a few years back, so another pitcher might actually be the same would
be useful to them. But I think they've really got to focus on that
on that offensive side. And as Darius said, I think everybody needs relievers.
Like everybody we talk about today who's in or even out or even shaking
it all about everybody wore taking an extra reliever if they're going to get to
bear. But yeah, I think I think they really need to pick up
some offense, and how they go about doing that is will be very interesting.
I think they could be like a pretty strong candidate for somebody like Katie
Bellinger to come in to either eat up time in centifield or at first base.
The middle in field options are pretty disgusting, if I'm perfectly honest,
when we're looking at players who are actually available, who think we think could
be traded a Paul the Young or maybe a Brandon Drury. It may maybe
where they where they have to go to actually inverted commas improve their team.
But yes, the Brewers need to make trades because we don't quite know what
that red Steam are going to do, so they actually need to just it
would make sure that they cement this division title. I've got to be honest,
I haven't paid close attention to Milwaukee Brewers baseball over the course of this
season. And if you if you read out those names and asked me whether
or not they were real baseball players, I would be amazed if I got
fifty percent correct. Who is Andrew Monasterio? That that is a productive Alt's
name, if ever, I've heard of one Owen Miller. I mean,
I do know who that is, and I know he's not good. Tyrone
Taylor, I mean, that's a that's a championship manage and region. Who
are these people? And how is this the number one team in the NL
Central? You know, I know the obvious answer is the NL Central is
terrible. Also, I'm sort of looking at their depth chart on fan graphs
right now and like, what, what what earth has happened to estin here
and Mike Brousse that they're not in that team. I know they've gone off
a cliff. I know, I do know the answer to that question,
but that is extraordinary. They're in a hell of a mess. I mean,
that whole depicion is a mess, honestly, isn't it. Yeah,
I think obviously the self fredick him up. It looked pretty exciting so far.
There's obviously some optimism there that you could continue to produce well if you
didn't actually look like in the last month or so, Christian Yellich is actually
looking like Christian Yellich Old. Maybe I don't want to touch wood, they
want to actually say anything. He's looked pretty good for the month of July,
so if are, But yeah, the production that they're getting on like
on the back end of that, that lineup is it's not good. I'm
sure Darius would very much agree with me there. Yeah, I mean,
you know, there's not It's not like they've been like surprisingly good. Like
they're one of the worst defensive teams in the majors. You know, they're
scoring whether are they twenty six in run scored? You know, it's it's
very bad. They're just very good at pitching and they're pretty good defensifully as
well. So yeah, I quite like the Bellinger fit. He obviously he's
got defensive talent. I think if they just wanted some offense, then maybe
they just go get Tommy fam and stick him at d H. But this
is very much we're not going to like get the big name team. We're
going to get the rental. We're going to you know, find sat Rando,
who you might not even have thought was going to get traded, and
we'll playtoon him for you know, give him a hundred plate appearances the rest
of the way and hope that he turns into think decent. That's what the
Bruins have been doing for years. That's where their lineup looks like this.
Yeah, okay, same same question. Who's their ideal get russell Um.
I think Ballinger is. I think because he can provide some either infield or
outfield positioning, and if we're taking some sort of assumption that he's actually playing
a good and it's not a mirage, and that's going to fall off the
cliff. I really don't know about that, but yeah, I think Bellinger.
I would I would maybe say justin Turner as well, if the if
the Red Sox are actually turned out to be dealers and not holding on to
some of their players, I think adding someone like Turner who could not only
get them in but also give them some playoff experience as well would be a
solid ad. I think the Red Socks are going to keep Turner. That's
that's one of it's one of my views. I think if they are going
to deal from depth or make a trade that is surprising, it won't be
for him. I'll come on to that bit later on, But yeah,
that would be a nice fit. I mean, that would cover a whole
load of holes, wouldn't first base, third base? Don't put him a
second m Alex. That's specifically you, Alex cora um Darius. He is
on the shopping list for the Milwaukee Brewers. I agree with the rust that
Bellinger is probably the best fit there. I think the actual Brewis move is
timer Candelario like tremendously uninteresting corner bat, very much like the Brian Anderson move.
I feel like Candelario isn't that bucket. The Nats are going to be
motivated to move him, and I don't think it's going to cost an awful
lot to get him. So I think as much as Beningie would be nice,
I would be far less surprised if they traded for Candelario. Yeah what
about Ryan Noda? He's been all right, Annie, he's been great,
but he's currently hurt, so I don't know what is going to get for
him. Yeah, yeah, it's a fantastic app Yeah, that feels a
bit bruish. Maybe maybe Seth Brown. Maybe they could go and get Seth
Brown. He could play first place of the outfield for the Brewis. I
could, I could believe that. Yeah, I kind of see that.
And you know, they've got prospect depth to take a guy who has got
a bit more service time. The Brewers not tends to be at the type
of they make two types of try it, don't they Either I'm a Candelaria
or Hey, look at us, we won the service time battle. Yeah.
Interesting, they are a very intriguing one. Russell and I hadn't quite
realized what a mess they are. Okay, my my my choice. My
team I think rather less of a mess is the team in first position in
the Al East, the best division in baseball, the absolute bunfight for wildcard
spots going on currently beneath them as the Baltimore Orioles and incredibly fun and incredibly
exciting, but incredibly flawed baseball team, the main floor being. All of
their pictures are bad. How is it working? Not? Tyler Wales,
I could see your face, Darius, I'm not. I'm not hiring in
with that. Wells has been shaky of late, to be honest, we
wavering. I think I think he still needs the majors a whip. Doesn't
he pretty insane? Yeah? He does. When I say all of their
pictures, I mean all of their starting pictures. Although Yenia Canoe is starting
to look like a guy who had never thrown a passable Major League inning until
this season recently. Not not bad, but you know a little bit like
he's taxing his arm um. They've obviously already traded for Shintaro Fudge in Army
from Oakland, a deal I thought was really good business for them. I'm
shoring up that sort of hard throwing bullpen. But they desperately need, well,
they don't desperately need, They could really do with an upgrade of their
starting pitching. Um. You know, they're reliant on innings eaters like Kyle
Gibson, Carl Bradish, Dean Kramer. Any of these guys could turn into
a pumpkin at any time, and I'm almost sure that they'll be looking at
some upgrades. But again there's been Michaelias. It maybe won't be as splashy
or as fun as we hope or indeed anticipate, because you know, this
feels to me like the Orioles are playing with house money in terms of having
their tilt at the playoffs this year, a year ahead of schedule at least.
Of course, they've got. The other thing for them as well is
they have incredible prospect depth. But because of that depth and because of the
richness of their talent. One could anticipate that fellow front officers maybe asking for
rather rich ransoms for their choicest available players in return for dealing with the Orioles
and helping them get to where they want to be. I'm sure there's several
players on the Orioles prospect lists who are off limits, but nevertheless, it'll
be interesting. But this is the thing with the Orioles, because their system
is so so good, getting their you know, number eighteen prospect is probably
a steal in some of these deals. And that's the other thing that we
should be wary off before jumping to conclusions based on you know, six month
old Jim Kellis list. So yeah, the Orioles I think are definitely going
to buy. I think they're going to focus on starting pitching. If I
was sort of gun to head in terms of players that I think they should
be after, I think it's the sort of Gearlito and Lynn tier that they
should be shopping in. Potentially with Giolito like a sort of sign and extend
if at all possible, I wouldn't be doing that with Lance Lynn. Why
do I think they might end up Michael Lorenzen, although honestly he's been good,
like much really good, particularly over the last six weeks or so.
So, Yeah, the Orioles I think needs like pitching. If anything.
I think they possibly need two starting pitchers. If I were in the GM
spot and I had that prospect depth, that's what I would be shopping for.
What about what about you, Russell? What do you think about the
Orioles. Yeah, they gotta get pitching. I think it's it's kind of
relatively as simple as that. Like, obviously, Grayson Rodriguez came back up
about ten days ago now and has pitched two okay games so far, so
I think ob having him back up might be relatively well, I'll help them
kind of like actually kind of progress further. But yeah, they just they
just need arms. And so you're right, we just don't know what this
front office and ownership are actually going to do because we've not seen them do
anything yet. We've not seen them spend big, we've not seen them trade
players for trade their prospects away for current players because they didn't do it last
season when they had the chance to do it. They trade it out again
to kind of even stack that system even more than it is. So we
don't know, really what the m O for this front office actually is.
So, could we be seeing some massive, massive trade deal alla the San
Diego Padres level of like throwing away prospects which they've now deemed they don't think
are good enough but other teams may still do. Or are you going to
see some pretty daff like one or two players, mid level guys just being
thrown around. Are they going to end up with like all Blackburn and who
else? The way it sitting in that wonderful level of like, I don't
know, a Tyle Hendricks and Paul Blackburn are going to be like Baltimororial players
because they can get them for dirt cheap. I just don't know. Yes,
Stroman is another one who they should be shopping for, surely. I
mean that's what they need. They need high end talent that will win,
you know, a game of a wildcard series on their own back, potentially
provided it's not in London. Um. Yeah, Darius, who do you
think they're going to be? I mean nothing, I fear that Russell might
be right. Paul Blackburn is a name that I hadn't hadn't come to mind
for me. I think Michael Lorenzen maybe a bit Rich. I think Paul
Blackburn is the is the Baltimore Orioles future reality. Yeah. I mean it's
tough because you know, they keep saying, oh, yeah, when the
time is right, we're going to spend the money, and they're not spending
money on anybody right now. So you know, if you say, if
they got the room to go out and you know wag Max Shares are on
this roster, yeah, of course they have. Are they going to give
up what it takes to get him? Probably not. I would like to
see them do something. You know, we're talking about the White Socks.
We haven't really talked about Dinning Cease or even Michael Kopeck. Guys who've you
know, not just going to be for this year. Maybe there's somebody out
there that, you know, the Orioles scouts, the Orioles Analytics staff are
looking at, going, hey, can we can we get hold of this
guy? Because he's not that great right now, but we think it could
be a real real start for us and we'll get to keep him for a
couple more years. I would like to see them do something like that,
just one of those Yeah, here we are, we're making a sort of
legitimate commitment to the future. I've seen Mitch Keller's name tossed about a bit
as well, if they're you know, trying to save a bit more money
and over in Pittsburgh before you know, he gets too deep into his RB
years. He's been you know, showing flashed more of the potential this year,
but he's been up and down, and you know, he's not a
not a rookie anymore. I think he's a bit eligible next year. So
you know, do they have the pieces to go out and get pretty much
anyone they want? Yeah? Absolutely, But yeah, I think Russell's caliber
of player feels more likely. And yeah, I don't think we're going to
see that. They want an ACE, you know, you want to see
them get an ACE. I think Grayce and Roderig guests can be that.
But the concern I have with this team is that so many of these guys
just haven't pitched the innings. Outside of Gibson, who has done this,
you know, who has been the thirty plus start guy who's been there at
the back end of a season. Nobody, you know. I think Wells
has been treated very carefully. Bradish has never been there. I don't think
Roger I guess is going to throw another seventy plot innings this year, which
is probably what it's going to take if they get to the playoffs and you
know, make a deep run. So yeah, as much as I'd love
to go and see them go and get you know, a Gimito or a
Shares or a Snail or somebody of that caliber, yeah, it's it's tough
to see them doing it based on their recent history. Yeah, indeed it
is. There's so many good pictures available. Do you just listing them off?
There had even well I had considered, of course, they met the
two Mets guys, the two guys on the White Sox, Mitch Keller.
So many options out there for teams like the Orioles. Whether or not they'll
go for it will we'll remain to be seen. Okay, let's let's flip
onto the other side of the equation and talk about teams who we definitely think
I'm gonna kick it all up in the air, Russell. Let's let's let's
start with you, the Saint Louis Cardinals. They're going to be the greatest
traders of this of this deadline. I think they kind of have to be
to try and get something out of this season that has just kind of slowly,
I don't even think slowly, just fallen apart around them, with nobody
really seeming to be having any idea why. Like you've still got two absolute
phenomenal cornerstones in that in that infield who was still hitting relatively well, but
some other things that you would expect to happen around it haven't had it.
Like Marmol I think is maybe showing that he's kind of out of his depth
a little bit in this a bit. May Ali just be careful about my
may Ali. I know he's still continued to show some weird moves throughout the
season. We obviously the contrary stuff is just is just mental and I think
obviously this fan base has after what whence the last time they had a little
below five hundred season, probably a very long time ago, or like they've
they've been a very good team for quite a while now, so they're not
used to being bad. So yeah, I think, I know it's been
like thirty years since they've wore this bad at this point in the season.
Yeah, so I think they have to tear down what they can to help
them be good again next season. And it's not it's not massive, Like
I don't think you need to be saying like, oh, we're going to
get rid of the stars of this team, because they shouldn't be trading Arronado,
even though I think he could be an amazing trade bait for for some
teams. I just don't think it's going to be doing. But if the
likes of Tyler O'Neill and as you've already said, Paul the Young are on
this team or on this team come the end of the deadline, I'd be
a bit surprised. I think you'd also or him. Gordon Montgomery. There
we go to say that one multiple times fastily. Jack Flaherty, I think
they should go. I think they probably should try and move Hicks and Stratton
as well, from like a relief perspective, like I think that's like six
players, which I think that they can they could move now individually, obviously,
I think Montgomery and Flaherty you could probably get the most four, Especially
like in the sp market, I think there's quite a few teams that would
want to get something from those. Pairing a couple of these guys together to
certain teams I think is what Cardinals should actually be trying to do so they
can actually get some either high level prospect backs and kind of I don't want
to say, take the Oaks and route and get the cord a guy who's
going to be ready for next season. But this Cardinals team, if it
actually kind of plays the way it should, has got a good enough call
that a little bit of money and they'll be fine next season. So they
really I think they should be trying to either add players that are one or
two years away, or yeah, go right the way down to the bottom
of the farm system. Interesting, do you think that that's where they'll stop.
There have been some reports that contract I mean, it was our old
friend Bob Nightingale that Contraris might be back on the market already. It's it's
kind of ridiculous if you're willing to give up an honor player that you've offered
that level of contracts to over half a year, like either you just could
either your scouting system or whatever your interpretation of a player was so wrong,
and you admitted that you're so wrong in understanding someone that half a year is
enough to actually determine that you must have been an absolute shocker of a decision.
In offering that contract to be so certain after half a year that he's
not the player that you want to have on this team going forward. Does
it suggest that there are maybe more internal fractures within the clubhouse that maybe you're
harder to fix, and so getting rid of Contraris might help from that point.
Who knows, But if he goes, that will be the shock of
the deadline. Two words. J Bizinski. Yeah, I think I agree,
and I've seen a few people. I don't think there's any fire or
smoke here. I think that there's a few people speculating that Dylan Carlson is
another player who people will be inquiring about because he's had a down here though
might think it can fix him. I'm sure the Cardinals think that too.
Yeah, a very very interesting team. About what about you, Darius?
Is there is there anyone else who you think isn't safe that needs to nail
their feet to you know the base? Yeah, only as the guy who
haven't spent much time on But I think he's the closest of the rest to
free agency, and we know the relationship has been frosty there. Now,
you know, if Marmal's on the outs, then maybe maybe the Car's organization
are thinking, well, we don't want to get rid of him or just
get rid of Alley. But there are certainly teams. I mean, you
look at the Yankees outfield this season. I think Tyler and Neil would look
pretty good out there. Obviously got the history with the Beta trade as well
there. Um and yeah, given what the Yankees have had to run out
on some of those outfield corners has been this season. Um, that would
that would be a candidate for me, I think, yeah, I'm inclined
to agree. Um yeah, I all right, okay, Um, Cardinals,
I think big sellers at the deadline. Um, we all already knew
that. I think, Um, okay, I am going to grab the
carnshil, I'm going to keep it local. The other team that we saw
in London a month ago, the Chicago Cubs. Um, that's a team
going absolutely nowhere. Despite David Ross's protestations, it's a it's a team that
is not going to make playoffs. They're sort of playing for pride right now,
and they've got some guys on their Ross Still, I think people would
be keen to get their hands on I think specifically Bellinger, who we've already
talked about Stroman, who was touched on Hendricks Russell's fair point. Notwithstanding that
you know, he's maybe not a peak of his career as he perhaps once
was, still could be interesting. Somebody Drew Smiley, who's had an okay
year I would anticipate would be available at the sorry at the right price.
And then they've got some guys in that bullpen who they just kind of don't
fit with the window. Michael Fulmer probably going to be moving on again,
I would imagine, but I could similarly see a trade for a guy with
not insignificant control out of their bullpen, a bit like the one that they
pulled off with the Yankees first Scott f Us last year, I think.
But Alzlai is probably going to stay, but guys like and Merryweather or not
Lighter might be available at the right price, particularly because those two are older
players, so albeit that they don't have much in terms of MLB service time,
that doesn't really matter so much in terms of their age other than their
cost controllability. Yeah, a team that are a bit of a mess and
probably need to get some pieces that are going to be ready in a couple
of years, right, So the sort of high A double A prospects are
the ones that they might be looking for to support the likes of Niko,
Horner, Ian Hap and co. In their potential next contending window at Darius,
what do you say about the Cubs. Yeah, it's it's just it's
crept away from the bit. You know, you feel like it has been
the Oppotunite has been there and with the red of lack of strength, but
with the way the Reds are emerged, and you know the Brewers pitching it,
they're just not quite enough to stay in the hunt. I think they
could have been, you know, if things had broken slightly differently. Um,
but we've talked about how this team has holes. I think the Ballpenn
guys you named, the older guys like Lighter and Merriweather, are you know,
potentially interesting pieces for teams. I think these are the guy and the
guys you want to trade before it's too late. You know, they're getting
into their age thirty two thirty three seasons and you don't want to be,
you know, stuck holding these guys. And then you know the value of
can evaporate or fast and the relief markets and they're both pop up guys as
well. Right, you know, Maryweather was okay for the car for the
Blue Jays a couple of years ago, fell off and then has come back.
So again, you know, relievers are are are nascent? Get rid
of them? Five unbelievable innings for the Blue Jays, got hurt and then
nobody saw him for two years. And yeah, lighters basically come out of
nowhere. Just one of them. One of those guys is like suddenly a
good reliever in the majors at the age of thirty. Um. So,
yeah, you want to you want to capitalize in these guys, and the
team control should make it attractive. But yeah, there's not like, you
know, there isn't that major guy here. I don't feel like, yeah,
Bellinger is. You know, he's obviously rebuilt his value, but it
is still a rental situation. You know, there isn't like a major they're
going to get a haul here. They ain't getting PCA this time, are
they? Not? That they should ever not getting pc And you know,
you look at a lot of these spots and you know with Swanson with horn
or with half Miguelmyer's looking really good behind the plate for them, I think
they have got a lot of places where they can be relatively confident going forwards.
So yeah, I think getting somebody in sort of double A level,
he's going to arrive relatively quickly just to supplement some of those pieces. I
think it's probably what they're going to be looking at, and then maybe this
offseason we see them make another bigger free Asian acquisition. Russell, what are
your thoughts on the Cubs. Yeah, I think they've got to They've got,
as it's always typically say, you've got to make the sensible decision to
think this year is an our year, given the fact that they're not actually
that far off of the Brewers, It's only like seven games or whatever,
But it would take investment the other way around to actually to get them close
to doing that. They could very much finish this division second ahead of the
Reds, and I wouldn't bat an eyelid on it, but yeah, I
think other names that could get flipped, like Trey Mancini maybe as a possibility.
Oh they hate him as well, don't you know, get him out
of their poor guy. I don't know how close to recover any brad Boxburger
is, but I'm ASSU didn't if anybody who just wants to take a random
ask gamble on a player who's even injured and might just give them the tiniest
of returns, somebody might some one of the top teams might be willing to
take him off their hands for a very small prospect, but save the Cup
to a couple of probably not even a couple of million, a couple of
millions to probably his country. But yes, I think I don't. I
don't think they'll be too many players go. I think they'll I honestly think
they'll keep Smiley just because I think he'll be useful next season. And they're
going to be one of these teams to this thing that like, it's just
this season we're out on. We're not planning three or four years down the
line. We're just kind of saying getting rid of what we won't keep for
next year anyway. So yeah, they're not picking up what. I don't
even know what the terms are for Kyle Hendricks next year. Is it a
vesting option or I don't even know what it is, but um, I
think yeah, But I'm not actually sure what the terms of the thing they're
vesting are. Yeah, So I think everybody else that we've we've said before,
I think are people that, yeah, will we'll be flipped and it
will just be interesting to see where they go. Okay, Darius savor to
you, Um, who else is gonna during ninety five yard punt? Detroit
Tigers? You know they hung around. Uh, it's been it's been a
different kind of torture I think this season for Tigers fans, in that the
Twins and the Guardians just absolutely refuse to like put their foot down and accelerate
away, and the Tigers feel like they've been just like hovering in that like,
oh, they're so close, Like if they were just a half decent
team, you can totally see them win this, and they're not. They're
not a half decent team, so they're not going to do it. But
it's been quite cruel. I think, like, can't somebody just put them
ten games back and be like, Okay, this season's done. But it
feels like every time we look at the standings, oh yeah, the Tigers
are there, they're four games back, they're five games back. It's just
starting to slide. Interesting series against the Marlins this weekend, actually, because
the Marlins are in absolutely free fall since the break, So I think that
might have an interesting impact on Miamis because if they can't win that series against
the Tigers, then they're gonna have some work to do. But yeah,
there's anyone arguing that a team that is running Eric Harse out into the outfield
should be in any way adding anything to their payroll is not a serious individual.
I know you are doing the opposite of that, But for those of
you who are trying to cling on that there may be some hope. There
is none. Yeah, like you know, there's still some guys here right,
like Green I think could be a really good Major leaguer. Torkusen has
been a lot better lately. Terek Scobble came back and absolutely destroyed the Giants
earlier this week, looked fantastic. So there's there's players here. But yeah,
you look at the rest of this lineup. I don't know what they're
going to do with Buyers, but it is painful to watch at this point,
just there's nothing they are offensive that everybody knows he's going to swing it
everything, and they just throw him total junk and he still swings at it.
And yeah, there's just a lot of real big holes here. We're
still dragging around Miggee on this team, who we really don't hear from very
much these days because he doesn't do anything. But he's still taken like a
couple hundred plate appearances for the Tigers this season, which is just like where
they're at. You know, serious teams don't do this. They would have
just cut him by this point. So yeah, I think there's guys to
movie he Rod has rebuilt his value a bit. I think he's one of
the more interesting pictures out there and potentially could be one of the best deadline
acquisitions for somebody. I think, you know, some of their relievers have
been talked about. I think Jose Sasno was on trade rumors earlier this day
as a guy who's going to get traded. Obviously they're not going to pick
up much for him. Lorenz and you mentioned earlier Spencer Turnbull would have been
an interesting guy, but he's been hurt a lot. I don't know that
they're going to get a ton of interest on him, but maybe somebody wants
to take the flyer and hope that he's healthy next season, and then,
yeah, I don't know a lot of a lot of n thing really but
I think the guys that they can move. Scott Harris is going to move
and just try and get them into something approaching a window in the next two
to three years, if effortable possible, while while Green, while Talcus in
a while school Wall are still under relatively cheap contracts. I've got one for
you. Do you think there's a possibility that they move Manning knowing that mys
is going to be back shortly, thinking like he's probably about the top of
his market, like as I sort of serviceable number three, he's not going
to get better then, They're not going to get more for him now than
they will now. Yeah, it's a possibility. I think he's definitely yeah,
outperformed its peripherals. He's twenty five, he's yeah. I mean,
it would be an interesting move. They've got us some other pitching on the
way. Jackson Job has come back and looked good this season. I think
a couple of other guys in the miners who are coming up. I think
Wilmaflora is his brother is in this system actually also called Wilma Flories. So
yeah, I kind of like that as an interesting move. I you know,
the optics of trading a guy who's twenty five might not be the kind
of thing that they want to get into when they're saying, oh, we're
building for the future, but also we're going to trade this dude in his
mid twenties. Yeah, he's got four and a half years. Yeah,
so I would expect them, if they were going to do that, to
ask for a lot. But I sort of think he is. He feels
like the type of guy and we are going to talk about the Reds.
It feels like the type of guy that the Reds might be looking for when
they're putting Jonathan India on the trading block. No, they probably want hip,
they'll probably want higher ceiling than Matt Manning. But you know, it's
a conversation. If you were in those two front offices, one might entertain
Russell's pulling a face at me. That usually means I'm wrong. I just
don't know, Like if he's a guy who what I think his ear years
like one and a half below his fit. So it's like there's there's a
lot of things there which are just kind of I don't think some of the
more analytically in client teams and we go for bread, while they may actually
didn't fall in that category nowadays, so who knows what they do. I
think people would probably pick up like Folio or Lange ahead. I know we're
obviously we're still talking about relievers compared to starters. I think I think that's
three point two year ray. The Manning house is probably it probably carries enough
value that makes too expensive for any team to actually give the Tigers, too
much enough to make them actually flip him from either the Tiger's overvaluing him.
I think, yeah, I mean, I think I probably agree. It's
an in. It's a name I've sort of seen people say, and there
was an interesting thought extrement. I don't know if there's still a bit of
like prospect sheen, Like a lot of people thought he was going to be
really, really good. I don't think the BP guys did. I think
they were a bit down on him relative to a lot of the industry.
But I know some people, certainly in fantasy circles, thought that Anning Manning
was going to be an absolute ace when he was coming up. Yeah,
yeah, don't be banked as a sixty value player in quite a few places.
Yeah, I mean that was potentially unwise. Um, Okay, Tigers
are again. Yeah, get get ready, yeah, get ready. I
mean this is the other thing with them? Is this just not a lot
is there? Yeah? They've been doing this for so long now that you
are you know, you're starting to look at Oh god, you know we
sold the hub Capsum, we'll have to remove this axle. It's never any
a good look, is it. Um? So we'll see what happens with
the Tigers, a horrible mess of a baseball team. Take talked a lot
about a lot of them today. Okay, um, check it all about.
Does anyone have any particular desire to go first in terms of a team
that you know, let's let's say we're just just dare have a clue,
or they could do loads of fun stuff. Yeah, I'll take the leader
here, boys, I'll talk about the San Diego Padres, who I can't
decide whether they're going to do absolutely nothing, whether they're gonna flip two or
three players and just be like, oh, you know what, will still
be fine no matter what all they make, like go all in and try
and get somebody else to add into this uber squad and actually kind of push
to go for it, because if I still can't look at still look at
this Padres team and I still think this is one of the best teams in
Baseball's soid what's happened like so far this year? I look at that team
and I cannot believe it doesn't have a winning record. I think they only
have a gap at like first base really, which is probably in the Potter's
problem for what eight years now. But like they they could very well just
make the playoffs without actually doing anything. Just keep that team. Everybody kind
of gets closer to the form that they would expect them to do, and
I think you would probably give them, I don't know, a one in
three chance of making the playoffs if they add somebody that creeps up. Even
if they get rid of a two or three people like Hade or whatever,
it creeps down. But I don't think it creeps down massively, So I
just don't know. Like, whatever they do, I don't think it changes
their playoff odds that much. So I just don't know what they will actually
choose to do in this moment because I don't think it really makes a difference.
I think I think this would be an interesting team for Bellinger right because
Gris Grisham has not been that hot and he could cover that whole at first
base. I mean, let's let's be honest. The whole DH thing there
has not worked. You know, they let's sign Nelson CRUs Macarmeter has been
an absolute mess. I think if you're looking at other holes on this team,
just somebody who could hit would be a real boon to that that part
of the lineup. But yeah, I could see I could see Bellinger here
for sure. Honestly, I think you know they're they're a bit light on
the starting now as well, aren't they. Yeah, Michael Waker, to
no one's surprise, is injured. Yeah, and I don't know, Like
Lugo's done pretty well transferring back to the rotation, but he's been a reliever
for so long, Like, I just don't know how long they can let
him go because he hasn't thrown a hundred innings since like twenty eighteen, and
he's thirty four thirty four, So it's like, yeah, how much can
you really stack up on top of this? I don't I don't know how
much further he can go. We'll see. Yeah, they're like they're in
fourth place in this division. They are not going to catch the Dodgers,
so they're we think they're looking at a wild card slot. If they're actually
thinking give getting into it. Do you want to think they're actually better than
some of the teams above them? Yes, I actually do. Will they
make it there? But if they don't do anything maybe so? Is it
Is it enough to just say now we're gonna we're gonna stand pat, we
trust this team, we put out the mega contracts, or do we get
a very interesting moment where the potteries again say hey, we got this wrong
and we're gonna give up Hayder. We're going to give up Snail or something
like that and really try and grab another interesting player with maybe a longer contract.
But somebody is willing to give up because they actually want to go in
for it this year. I think there is precisely zero percent chance that they
stand part Russell. I think you know that they're going to do something absolutely
crazy on one end or the other. I'm more inclined to think that they
allowed. Yeah, this is this is uh, this is a j Preller
we're talking about here. It's not I can't imagine that. Yeah, they're
either they're either pumping and dumping or they're are They're like, come on,
Cody Bellinger, you r Us and Diego Padre. I think the rhetoric from
Sidler as well, you know, makes you think that they're going to keep
going for it, Like at no point it's he been you know, we're
going to blow it up, like he's been very committed to the project and
the window is now. So but they do have form for doing it though.
Think about you know, the Will Myers um season where that you know
they trade when they tried to rush it. Yeah. Yeah, they bought
absolutely everyone in that off season and they're just Justin Upton did they get in
there? And I think and Justin Upton and the other the other Dodgers outfield
are the goes, the model Matt Matt, Matt Matto, can't remember his
name, Terrible Matt Kemp. Yeah, I signed all of those guys and
then dumped them all at the deadline, didn't they. I think the difference
with this is the you know, the way the roster is constructed now with
Machado and Bogart's that they didn't have guys then that they'd signed for such long
deals. I think they've really like put themselves in for the long run here
and you can't. Yeah, I mean, but they do still have guys
who people would really like, like Soto, like him, who you could
get really good. And then you know that the guys who are have less
controllable time, like Hayder and Snell, you could get a lot for those
four guys. If you decide you're gonna you know you're you're out of it.
Yeah, I definitely think they could. I just don't think that's the
way they the rhetoric is going. I think they're gonna they're going to try
and make it still. Yeah, I mean I think I agree with you.
I'm just I'm just putting the adverse case. It's a good one that
Russell goodness knows. Ah, Darius, do you want to go next or
do you want to have last? Let you know, privilege of going last.
No, I'll go next. I've picked the Mets because I feel like
the Mets can do anything. I think that money is obviously no object.
Basically for Steve Cohen, it hasn't helped, but it's no object. So
you can't really rule them, rule them out doing anything, you know,
even if it's a trade where somebody says we don't want to pay this kis
fifteen million anymore, Stevie go, Yeah, sure, I'll take him.
Give me a couple of prospects. Obviously, they've totally left up the division,
but they've also just got this team that's pretty old and I think they're
going to run it back next year. And yeah, it sounds like,
you know, they haven't really broached trades with their Landa yet. Shares that
hasn't been at his best, so maybe they don't move him, you know,
maybe they just kind of keep this team around. Yeah, they looked
at around the edges and come back next year. But I think they've just
they've got Laans open to them in a lot of different ways. They have
got guys like Robertson we mentioned earlier who who could get moves. But I
also think that they really really badly want to win a World Series quite soon,
and that is probably going to influence a lot of their decisions. It's
also like an argument like Robertson not you know, you're right about Robertson,
But other than she in burl Under, who kind of does anyone want on
this rosteram as kind of fam I mean Camas, Yeah, kind of talking
yourself into both of those though, aren't you. It's very much Rooks Rayley.
Yeah, God, don't we all want Brooks Raley to come around?
Um yeah, you know, it's a lot of If you are trying to
go for it right now, we have some guys for you, but it's
not long term project pieces. It's definitely we've got some rentals. You sure
don't talk. Don't talk to me about Tommy Fam rentals. Still still bloody
scarred by that. Yeah, give us your twenty first best prospect or whatever
and we'll give you Tommy Fam like that. That kind of they're just bizarre,
bizarre organization. What's happened? Russ, I don't know? Like that,
Once again, it makes you feel that there's something off the field,
because like the players that they they picked up two old players but who had
actually track records, are still being able to pitch well despite their ages and
have not done well. I think of all of their twenty twenty three signings,
the only shining star has been Codey Singer, who have to maybe a
wobbly first couple of games, has looked pretty phenomenal afterwards. Like Carrasco's not
looked good obviously, Kintana, Like these are people that you could flip or
move or any of the other lot that's down there, like maybe somebody could
take Adam Otavino or like it just hasn't worked. And I think there are
far more in even more intelligent people than baseball than Darius and I who still
have absolutely no idea why it hasn't worked. Like I'm gonna sin for Francisco
Lindor for all of his career, given the stuff that he did for the
Cleveland but it's obvious that he's gone between being very good and very bad quite
often at the Mets, and it's just not cemented his place in that lineup
and in that city the same way he did in Cleveland. And maybe that
it's just one of those those issues that playing in New York, even though
it's not the Yankees, it's not not a thing that players can actually do.
Yeah, they're they're yeah, It's just I kind of just feel sad
about it, right, I genuinely do. Like I know I shouldn't feel
sad that, you know, multi billionaire hatchet capitalist Steve Cohen has you know,
his little train set has gone off the rails, But I kind of
admire what he was trying to do so much, and for it to just
be you know, cursed as the Mets must always be, it just genuinely
just made it feel sad. It's supp used to even be talking about the
idea that they will be trading just in just just it just was uninconceivable that
like this time four months ago and yet here we are. Yeah, indeed,
um, I don't see much. Yeah, the young pitching here is
not There's not a lot. I don't think. I'm not aware of many,
like, you know, guys who can lead this rotation you know when
shares are in Verland has gone yet and I means not not young Singer's thirty
already, Like where is the pitching coming from for the Mets. So I
hope that one of the things that Steve has done with his money is to
like you know, pumple of it into making sure they've got the best scouting
and development system they can have. I don't know if that's actually true,
but I hope that's what we're doing. They're just going to go back to
the MPB, well aren't they? Yahobo Yamamoto, you are a New York
Met. You could do worse Rocky Sasaki. You are a New York Met.
Yeah, that's what's come in. Yeah, the Mets are a strangel
one. Okay, right, I'm going to talk a bit about the Red
Socks, and then I think there's probably one or two teams who we need
to talk about who we've not hit on already. Um. Red Socks are
just odd. They're just an odd team. Um. They are a really
good offensive team with you know, a pitching staff that effectively amounts to their
sentient kum Quatre, old Hoss Radborn and you know some kids they found on
lands Down Street. And then defense and base running is you know, Benny
Hill. I really don't know. I have felt like a lot of this
sort of two groups of Red Sox fans this year. There's the the usual
Red Sox fans, the ones who are listening to you know, ninety eight
five Sports Hub, who think testing cost us wearing nail polish is the worst
thing that's happened in the history of bail, in history of baseball, who
are just never going to be happy as long as I'm Bloomers anywhere near Boston.
And then there's been another group that I am more at home in that
has been trying to convince ourselves that this is a good baseball team despite it
being kind of obvious it's it's not. And they keep doing enough that one
wants to make an argument that they should be deadline buyers. And yet I
think, in my heart of heart arts I knew that that would be wrong.
Similarly, like Bloom has got no form yet either at Temper or at
Boston for just like straightforwardly buying at a deadline. He is just a guy
who's obsessed with value, all like the best value, and you know,
doing funky trades like Jake Deetman for Reese Maguire and you know whatever that Eric
Hosma trade was, although oddly, the two prospects in that Hosma trade both
been really good, so maybe that was the real Maybe that was the real
bargain that you got there. So yeah, who, I just honestly don't
have a clue what they're going to do, And my senses it might be
a bit like last year where they're selling some players that are quite surprising and
buying some others that are equally surprising. So there's a couple in my mind
that, oh, I don't they've really been talked about anywhere, but I
think they could potentially get shopped. So one of those is Alex Fadugo.
I think he's never going to have a higher value than they should have been
an All Star campaign that Alex for Dugo has had this year. He's kind
of hit the skids a bit in the last couple of weeks. He is
what he is, He's a half decent light hitting right fielder. There's a
few people who could do with one of those more than Boston when they've got
an outfield log jam and sid Anne Rafaela in triple A and the other one
alongside for Dugo I think is not my favorite player, Tanna Hawk, who
I'm perennially trying to get off the Boston Red Sox. But just you know,
a guy who's currently injured, of course, but he seems to have
value as a starting picture. He might send stupid when the Red Sox have
currently got no starting pictures, but they've got a lot available. There's going
to be a log jam sooner rather than later when they all come off the
off the injured list. And I think he is a guy who could go
somewhere and be a three four And I don't think he's going to be that
in the Red Sox. If they could get a player like Jonathan India with
a package built around Tannahuk, then I think they might do it. I
just don't I just genuinely don't know. I think controllable starting pitching is something
that they need and want. Controllable middle infield, like particularly at second base,
is something that they need and want, because let's be honest, Yu
Chang and Pablo Rayas, Christian Arroyo, these are just these are just not
players you want on a winning baseball team. So yeah, the Red Sox
are a weird old, a weird old club approaching this deadline. And I
think that people who are talking themselves into this being a competing window in order
to save face with people who are going to shout in bad faith in any
event, should give themselves a shake. Don't what you two think, because
that's quite a sort of partial view from a concerned Red Sox fan. Russell,
you're usually quite good at bringing my feet back down to the ground.
Well, I was just looking through this team and realizing I didn't kind of
think it was how old it actually is. Like there isn't like young players
like in this team, like you've got what Brian Bao and Josh Winkowski or
whatever can across us. Yeah. Yeah, and Duran is pretty young.
Yeah, he's nearly twenty seven or whatever and has actually been good. Yeah,
I get all back you're saying you don't have many players that are like,
you've got quite a few there that are all like preab or whatever that
you're not getting rid of that all that will find. But there's a lot
of dudes in their thirties here. But if the right offer came out,
I think they would be daft not to think about it. I think they
are. If there is any team in baseball which has been shafted by the
quality if the Al East the most, I think it is the Boston Red
Sox because they are probably the worst even that division. I think it's and
that's but that's not actually saying to say that they're a bad team. Like
I think they line up that gets put out right by that. But the
Yankees is worse. But when judges back in a few injuries or whatever,
I think they'll probably roll out a better lineup. But the Red Sox are
just are in a really, really tough decision about what they should actually do.
So if they get sensible options, like I think they should listen to
them. Like the place that they actually need to improve is in that center
of the infield. That's a second base of the non a short stop if
you were going to if they were going to go for it, like they
have a good short stop who's going to be playing in a week Trevor Story,
they definitely need a second baseman though, Yeah, i'd like to see
him play a short stop fa for us, say, he's a good shot
stop, but he's a good hitter. He's look, he looks hot in
double a Darius As I know that sounds very peat prap, but there we
are. But yeah, so they just aren't those players on the market,
as we've already kind of like discussed this tread headline. So the holes that
they need to fill, there aren't the players to fill them. So do
they get the best out of it by actually filling other people's holes and getting
some better returns than they would at any other point. It's a really pessimistic
way of like looking at baseball to kind of say that, like, yeah,
you are genuinely in the shout for a wild card position. What are
they half a game a game off and one and a half games of a
wild card position. And we're actually legitimately talking about these guys with a positive
record, when we're legitimately talking about them getting rid of half of the players,
well some of them more. But to your point, right, the
Astros and the Rangers are better than them. The Blue Jays, the Orioles
and the Rays are better than them, and the Yankees are arguably better than
them when Judge is fit, Like, I don't think there is any argument
I think they are. Yeah, it's a big a log jam that in't
it, But one or two players could make the Blue could put the Red
Soxx in a position where they'd have a genuine chance. I just don't think
they are your simple trade solutions that you would get at a deadline. I
think you're really talking about trying to get somebody who has is a second baseman
who has two or three like years of availability left in them to actually kind
of do that. I was I was really really looking to work out like
who actually has somebody worth while at second base who might even make a trade?
Like could you mean you are like you were literally are talking about Jonathan
India there basically yeah, right, but are you are you talking about Louis
the rights? Could you actually get him out of Miami? Likeviously you're going
to You're gonna be paying at the arm with your leg for taking him right
now? Can you take one of Andrew Himenez or Armadasario out of Cleveland if
they end up being traders, if you offer like the offer the White Things
back in the other way, you're talking about very complicated deals to actually make
this team better. They might be a sort of weird team in weird three
team deals though, right, they could be that one for this year.
There's always one. Yeah, okay. I mean, I'm interested in your
thoughts too, Daris, but I'm conscious of time, and I also think
there's one or two teams who we haven't spoken about already who are just also
weird, who are well three specifically, I want to have a quick minute
on before before we break off. Talk about Jonathan India a lot, and
I feel like we should talk about his team. Another team with no pictures.
They're surely signing pictures, the Reds. Surely they're surely selling people,
aren't they. You think they're just too bad like that? That well,
you could say that any player that they get tea in actually is an improvement,
so they should might as well go and get some players. They'll probably
be an improvement. But they're effectively like the worst team that has a reasonable
chance of making the playoffs. Like, so, yeah, they need a
first baseman, field, a starting pitcher, they need, they need relief
pitching. If there's a team that you're seeing there's actually going to make the
playoffs this season, likes, what's wrong? We spent to steering, Joe,
But that's why. How could you not be romantic about baseball? You
could be called the russellism and your brain is a computer. The lineup is
pretty interesting now I'm convinced by some of these outfielders, um, but if
you know, if they don't try to steer, then I think the infield
is pretty good. I like it now. The pitching is yeah, maybe
the day though comes back, maybe Green comes back. Maybe they're both look
good. We'll see. Abbott has been unbelievable. I'm still not quite sure
that is this good. And then it's yeah, I don't know whatever.
The Elvis has been lively, surprisingly effective. I don't know why, Luke,
we have still as a job, I guess because he's on the Reds.
But yeah, they need something. They are definitely definitely trading for pitching.
There's just no doubt about it. Like they are in. They are
as in as they are going to be for a long time they are,
and Joey Votto is retiring. They are trading for pitching. They could do
with Marchaul Stroman to get some ground balls and that stupid bullpark with play.
Yeah, that's very, very true. So the Reds, the Marlins,
as you said, Darius, the bottom has fallen out, But of course
they've got about nineteen serviceable starting pitchers and you know, are always going to
be of intrigue to anybody as a team who wants to keep themselves in contention
and has you know plenty of you know, Dubloons available to trade with Noy.
Yeah, it's not quite as sort of stacked as it looked at one
point, you know, there wasn't There was a point not too long ago
where you were like, the Mans have got like nine ten guys you want
in your rotation, and now with Maya getting t J and our count falling
off and six day Sanchez never really coming to anything, it's kind of like,
oh, there's not quite so much depth there, but it's still very
good rotation. Johnny Quoto has come back and like it actually pitched really well.
Although the Marlins fans were going, that's why we're putting him back in
the rotation, but he's actually been fine. But this lineup is just predictably
dreadful. It's just a rise and Sell hitting Dinger's. Garrett Cooper has been
okay, and yeah, like you very quickly get into oh yeah, Gezagura
is like hitting sixth and Gezagura has been miserable this season, just absolutely but
they haven't got anything else and they just don't score runs. And now we're
seeing that come back around. You know that early season one run game.
We'll sneak all these close games. Look, it's completely evaporated on them.
The bullpen's been falling apart, and it's it's been bad, and I don't
really know if they're going to do anything to fix it. To be honest,
I'm not sure who they who they want to trade. And there's not
like you know, another guy guy that there's not somebody here they can call
up and give themselves a boost. I don't think so yeah, it's a
tough one for them, but that wildcard mix is getting pretty competitive now the
fiddies have come on, the Giants and Diamondbacks are there, and if the
Reds do decide to go for it, then I don't like it. For
the Marlins, I think they're in a bad spot right now. Well,
I think what you're saying is more leproch on blowis Russell. What what about
the Yankee I mean that they're they're they're they're fronterance for shaha tani Bus.
They're only told me it's just absolutely mental. You just kept telling yourself Buster,
Yeah Yankees, Cody Bellinger, We're gonna said Cody Bellinger everywhere because we
can we clone him Bellinger. But it is a Tyler O'Neil could be a
good fit. Um do we never like who else is thinking? I actually
think I think there's zero chance that they sell, right. This isn't the
Andrew Miller and are all this Chapman yet? No, they're an argument that
they should. I did get star. I think they're in a fairly similar
position to the Red Sox like they are. Actually they wear their position to
compare to the teams around them and like the Raise and the Orioles have the
winds in advantage. The Blue Jays are a better to me for their only
like two or three games ahead, so you don't expect them to perform better
going And so are the Astros and Rangers. Yeah, so they're in a
very difficult position, like they're still basically reading for no one actually spending the
money on one of the massive shortstops in the last three years, thinking that
they've got prospects coming through, who are gonna gonna do it for them?
Well, just what may hasn't really worked, But the crystal ball could have
told you that as well. But who knows. Un goalplayer has just been
physically and mentally assaulted. I'll do The thing that will be interesting about the
Yankees is do they flip hasten to bingers? Do they do? They do
they go all in and like get out telling me and Filip something like the
biggest that's otherwise, like whatever the Yankees do won't be interesting to me.
Like they'll probably try and the ladder a couple of bulpen arms and they'll add
somebody in the outfield that we've well good like that was kind of Maya and
they'll still maybe just just about squeak their way and the playoffs. The thing
for me with the TARNI was just I just don't think they've got the prospect
capital for it. They just don't. Like if you if you look at
the return for I mean, I know it's a rental. You look at
the return for Soho, which was obviously eighteen months. They just couldn't do
it right because Dominguez is not going to get a tarney. It's not going
to work like that. That's where you start, and then where's where are
the others? Is it Volpe, is it Cabrera? No, they're not
going to give those players up, so like shut up. That's like even
even on like straightforward raw baseball analysis, it's not going to like, look,
Marina is not going to let it happen, but it wouldn't work.
There is no match here. Stop it anyway, enough Yankees talk that,
I think we can leave it there, so they go. That was our
hokey cokey trade deadline preview. Hopefully we'll get some of that right, and
I'm sure we'll come back after the Woods and congratulate slash chast eyes one another
for their useless slash fantastical prognostication that we put forth this evening, So Chaps
as ever, a pleasure, Russell, good to see you. Thanks for
slapping me down several times. It was it was emotional. Can I had
one one more? Two more dead SERTs? You can't be doing nothing of
the twins are doing nothing? Oh yeah, they're twins. They're twins.
Haven't just had their fingers burned like they no longer have hands after last year?
They're doing nothing? And there darius any any more dead SERTs for you
before we wrap things up. I was going to mention that we were in
the rod socks, but Adam Duvall getting treaded back to Atlanta feels like a
locked on for me. That's the one spot where you look at that team
and you think, yeah, they could do it a little bit of an
outfield boast and they'll have to go all over there. So is the new
Kelly Johnson. Yeah, that feels like an appropriate place to leave it.
Thank you always, guys, and we'll see you against see