Speaker 1: Greedy, sociality tations, everyone a church, Wilson Walking too, Fantasy
Baseball Live. Today is July nineteenth, about two o'clock in
the afternoon. We're coming an hour early and everyone, So
Tim and I can watch the World Cup final match.
At least I'm excited about it. Tim, What about you?
Speaker 2: Where is this World Cup you speak of? Yeah, I've
got no interest. So I got no interest whatsoever.
Speaker 1: That not even the halftime, not even the halftime with Madonna,
and I think Justin Bieber and Madonna hasn't performed in forever.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and who's this Justin Bieber? I would prefer to
watch Shane okay, especially the way you bitched yesterday.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a historic eleven minute performance. It's only eleven minutes. Madonna, Shakira,
Justin Bieber and something called bt SD.
Speaker 2: Any of them play heavy metal?
Speaker 1: I don't think that's I'm interested to see Madonna, So
I don't know. She was a big deal at one point,
but I thought she retired, so who knows.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I have no idea whatsoever. But my overall
interest in the World Cup was fairly minimal to start
and it hasn't changed.
Speaker 1: So here's here here's my game. Little bit of insight tip,
just a little bit of insight. So the teams are
staying in training within two or three miles of where
I live. The argent Argentina versus Spain. Spain looks like
they have the better team, but Argentina stayed at the
better hotel. I'm just going to throw that out there,
so maybe they get a better night sliwer.
Speaker 3: Well, you never know.
Speaker 2: Maybe we've heard those holidays in commercials.
Speaker 1: Right, that's true. They didn't stay on a holiday again, but
that's yeah.
Speaker 3: They are the two nicest.
Speaker 1: Hotels in our area, and the one that the Argentina
team played at is very, very nice. So that's the
one I would have picked.
Speaker 3: And you know.
Speaker 1: It's next to the mall, the fancy mall, so maybe
they went over there and went to the Apple store.
Never know, never know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, did you hear the big news with the Pirates?
By any chance?
Speaker 1: I've heard a lot of news about the Pirates. I
know they want a double hitter. I know that Connor
Griffin is out until September. I know that that Jacob
Gonzales hit a big home run yesterday. Is there bigger
news than that? What? What? Big news, am I missing?
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, what you're missing is the news that the
pirates have announced that they are going to be buyer.
Is it the deadline as long as it doesn't increase costs?
Speaker 1: Okay, I had not heard that. That's pretty funny.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's actually been reported. I can't remember who
reported it, but yeah, the pirates are saying they're going
to buy as long as it doesn't increase their costs.
So it looks like.
Speaker 1: They might be able to do that. I mean, if
they got Tarik's scooble, let's think. I mean, it's gonna
increase a little bit, but I mean it's a one
year deal, so it's he's what thirty million dollars a year?
They have to pay six weeks of it.
Speaker 2: I don't okay, that's yeah. They could cut the rest
of their team and pick them up.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know. I think they could do that.
I think they could do school. Look, they've been playing well, tim,
Yeah they have.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't doute that, but when I saw that,
I just said that. It is so Pittsburgh, isn't it.
Like Okay, yeah, yeah, we're gonna we're gonna be contenders
as long as it doesn't cost us one or read
anymore than what we're currently spending. Like, man, I'm really
hoping it was a spoof, but I don't think it was.
Speaker 1: I kind of I would I read that as more
if they're not going to take on a long term contract,
but I can't believe. So it's August fourth, so you
have to you have to basically two months of tek
scouble ten million dollars for eight million dollars. That's probably
too much for them, but maybe not. I don't know.
But they could probably take on a you know, another
outfielder that's paid six million dollars a year and pay it,
you know, the million one five or something like that.
That's probably reasonable.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they can. They could cut two guys at league
minimum and it wouldn't cost them anymore. No, sorry, I'm
just being facetious there. I don't know when I've seen
yous like that. I find it very just so discouraging,
you know, like, come on, spend a little bit of money. Pittsburgh.
You're making some okay, nobody's going broke, okay in the
Steel City. Spend a few bucks.
Speaker 1: Not much of a steel city anymore, my friend. But
uh so, let's see if the if the if the
season were to end today, they would be the outside
looking in their one game out of the playoff spot,
with Miami tied with the Cardinals for the last slot.
So there they are in it. The Diamondbacks are in it.
The Nationals are still in it. If you squint, you
can see the Padres are in it. But I don't
know about the Reds. The Giants and the Mets in
Colorado are way out of it. So there's only four.
There's only four teams out of the National League, and
in the American League there's really only three, and that's
because the Athletics have just hit a tails been here.
But the Royals and Angels are out. I mean, we've
been talking about the school will be him traded to me,
they're only three and a half games out after going
eight and two here.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, and Schooble now says he wants to live
in Detroit and months a long term contract. So that
really muddies the waters a little bit.
Speaker 1: Don't they have to move Trek's Schooble? They have to
for the long term agree benefit of that organization. I
just can't. That is not a championship level team. It
just isn't. And I don't care how good Errek Schooble
is you still well? I mean, Casey Mice has been
really good, but he can't stay healthy, so I think
you have to move them.
Speaker 2: I agree totally.
Speaker 1: It is crazy. Look if the if this season were
to end today, do you realize the Boston Red Sox
would be in the playoffs?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: You did?
Speaker 1: Are you really?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 1: It's crazy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, they're over five hundred, one game over five hind yeah,
past ten they've gone ten and oh they've won twelve
and twelve games in a row. To go from massive
sellers at the deadline to buyers at the deadline. It's crazy.
And you know the way the Yankees are playing and
the Rays are. I look at the Rays team and sorry,
they're in first. They're fifteen games over five and I
haven't a clue how they're doing it smoking mirrors. The
Rays are, in my opinion, barely barely a playoff caliber
type type team. The AL is a mess, it really is,
so the Whites.
Speaker 1: What's fascinating is the Yankees are plus ninety differential, which
is good. Yes, second team is the White Sox at
plus forty two. The third team is the Red Sox
at plus forty. I guess they're yeah, And then the
fourth team is actually the Troy Tigers. So I mean
there's only five teams that have a plus run to
run differential and the American League.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, you look at the Rays and their run
differential is nineteen and they're fifteen games over five hundred.
They're either getting blown out badly in their losses and
winning close winning close games. They got to be. They're
winning a pile of close games. They really are, and hey,
it be good, good for them. But when I look
at the AL and I compare it to the the NL.
Can we have two teams from the NL in the
World Series? If you're.
Speaker 1: You might, Let's see, let's see if we can figure
this out. The Rays are they've scored ninety eight runs.
As you say, it's ninety eight home runs. That's fifth
worse than the American League. So they're not doing it
by power run scored. Oh, that's that's in. Then that's
in the whole Major League base Ball run scored. They
are sixteenth, so their mid pack and run scored, they're
not scoring a ton of runs, so they need some
more offense, and they're.
Speaker 2: Pitching camon The caamon Aro is a big bat that's
carrying them there.
Speaker 1: All right, I'm assuming the the bat, the pitching is
what's carrying them. So let's see the Rays now, they're not.
They're They've given up three hundred and seventy three runs,
which is twenty second worse in Major League Baseball. Timmy,
you are absolutely correct. I'm not sure how they are
doing it. My bad, My bad, they are I had
it reverse. The Rays are ninth best in giving up runs.
So they they're pitching is what's carrying them. They need
some more offense, and quite quite frankly, offense is cheaper
to get at the deadline than pitching.
Speaker 2: Oh, always supply demand. There's just there's always going to
be more bats when there arms arms available.
Speaker 1: So I think the Rays at a bat.
Speaker 2: What do you think that would make sense? You look
at their everyday lineup? Yeah, maybe even had two. Yeah,
that would make sense, total sense. Yes, Yeah, I don't
know what's going on with the Yankees.
Speaker 1: That's I don't have they don't have Aaron Judge. What's
your next question?
Speaker 2: So, I mean it's that's that's pretty much.
Speaker 1: I mean they got Cole back. He's starting to look
more and more like Cole every time he pitches. Max
Freed starts. Uh yeah, he has a rehab start this
so he's probably a week or two away from returning.
Schlittler's been a little more hit able recently, but still
very good. In fact, he's pitched well against the Dodgers today,
So I don't think there's anything wrong with the pitching.
They need Aaron Judge. That's a team that is completely
built around Aaron Judge.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and they moved him to the sixty day yesterday
I think it was or Friday. So yeah, that doesn't
that doesn't bow. He's not back. He's not back in
any big in any big hurry, that's for sure.
Speaker 1: So let's let's take a look at the Rays lineup here,
shall we.
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Right, Yandy Diaz pretty good baseball player, he's fine DH.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and ideas is solid. Yes, I agree.
Speaker 1: Jonathan Ronda has been okay this season, but he's your
first baseman. He's got fourteen home runs, hitting two ninety.
I think that's acceptable. He's going to hit twenty home runs, right,
Junior Cambinario, all world, yes, all world, This is when
it starts to get a little dicey, Cedric Mullins is done.
Chandler Simpson is a great fantasy player because of his speed.
He can't have him as an everyday regular and left field,
come on, there's no padre there. Victor Mason Junior, that's
your outfield, Mullin, Simpson and Mesa Jr. Come on, Richie
Pelasio at second base. Taylor Walls is your shortstop.
Speaker 2: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, and you got backups in Volati
de Luca, Ben Williamson, Yeah, Nick Forts, Yeah, it's you
look at that offense and yeah, there's a few question marks,
more than a few. And your you know, I think
Lassis as okay as a backup player, Yeah, back up
middle endfielder. And Taylor Walls probably the same with gloves solid,
but there's there's limited offense behind both of the mening
Oblastias having a better year this year. But yeah, and
then you get your outfield right of Simpson Mason and yeah, it's.
Speaker 1: At least I mean at least Lens and Mollins only
hitting two away. At least he has eleven home runs
of fifteen stolen basis. But he's got a slug a
three thirty nine. He can't hit lefties. They need they
need better players in the outfield period, So they bring
in a couple three players that that's your right, that's
what they need to do. They need to bring in
some boppers.
Speaker 2: M Yeah, the bullpen is great. The bullpen is lockdown.
It's you know, Brian Bakers had a great year, and
Clevenger and Kevin Kelly. The bullpen's solid. Okay, But yeah,
I'm even even looking at you know, you got McClanahan
or as Nick Martinez is having a great year. Griffin Jacks.
We've seen good and bad, and Seymour is the same thing.
They had a couple of reclamation projects in there. The
pitching's probably starting. Pitching is probably good enough to get
them there. M But in the bullpen, but men, they
need some offense somehow somewhere. Either that or they could
be owed in their first series.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I I yeah, that pitching is really good. That
I agree with you. I mean, I'm looking at the
Pirates and just seeing what they could do there. I mean,
desmar Lynn Valdez looks like the second coming, So I mean,
as long as he continues to do what he's doing.
I mean that is a huge fine from that. I
don't I don't believe he's going to continue.
Speaker 3: But they don't.
Speaker 1: They don't have a they don't have a stud sitting
in their line up. I mean Brown and Brandon lowis
maybe the closest. But it's just a bunch of it's
a bunch of players, Tim.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, but then again, you got you got Horowitz
is not a bad player at first base. You get
on Neil Cruz coming back.
Speaker 1: Oh that's true.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, yeah, and you know Connor Griffin unfortunately got hurt.
Speaker 1: That was their guy, Tim, Yeah, I build around.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. And Jacob Gonzalez is okay, okay player, but
he is not No, he's not no no, no no.
And you know, and as soon as as soon as
O'Neil Cruz comes comes back into the picture, that creates
they I would have to think that Valdez will move. Well,
you might stay in ry. Yeah, he probably moved to
the DH slot.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's the got I mean, Tyler Callahan's
not the answer there. So yeah, you bring Brick. But
if they can hold on have Cruise and Connor Griffin
going into the playoffs, it's an interesting team. If they
add one or two more players. So I think Ryan
o Hearne as solid as we talked about it. First
bait again Valdez until he stops hitting, it's one of
your better players. Brandon Lowell's okay, Magnum, Yeah, he's just okay.
Brian Reynolds is having a pretty good season. Fourteen runs,
hitting two eighty something, so he's he's been a right nick.
And Zales has actually been okay. I mean, is it
good enough to be on a championship level team? No,
but he is hitting three h nine.
Speaker 2: Yeah. The problem in Pittsburgh is they got to They
got to do the same thing that several other teams
have to do. They've got to they got to add
some bullpen arms because their bullpen's a mess. Maason Montgomery
might be the best arm there, but Soto and Tennis
and Tanna and Johan or Miras you know, Matzinski is
fine as a middle sort of guy, set up guy.
But they need they need to get their bullpen in order,
and right now it isn't. And the bullpen is going
to cost them because a lot of teams will be
looking at adding to that component of their team, including
the Phillies, who looked really solid, but they lost Keller
tore up as UCL or number two guy and he's done.
So you know, the Phillies are going to be shopping,
so money won't be it won't be an issue, I
doubt Yep.
Speaker 1: So you're looking at roster resource, I'm assuming for the Pirates. Yeah, yeah,
I mean the first time I've looked at the Pirates
here in a while. I love the fact that they
put Braxon Ashcraft as the number one starter over Paul Skins.
Deserves it, I don't know. Come on, Timmy's pitch better.
Speaker 2: Yeah, even sure he's pitch better. Is heither the better pitcher?
Well Saster Griffin pitch better than both of them? Would
he be the number one in Pittsburgh? No, Yeah, he's
got Yeah, I wouldn't have made made that change. Yeah,
schemes today through what it is, through threes and the third,
two and the third he allowed to hit it with
four strike up.
Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not suggesting. I'm not suggesting he's a bum.
But I think it illustrates how good Braxton Ashcraft has been.
And look, if the Pirates make the playoffs, Paul Skins
is getting the ball. He's getting the ball the first game.
But there's not a lot of drop off at the
moment with Ascraft, he's been that good.
Speaker 2: Yeah. No, the the problem with the you know, with
the by it's his Jared, Jared Jones and Boba Shambler.
One of them has to step up because Mitch Keller
is not the answer. Well, they should have moved him
years ago, I thought. But then I know, I know,
I did. On all my fantasy squads, I only had
a couple of cars. I got no no pass on
Mitch Keller.
Speaker 1: I don't know if I put it in the notes,
but I watched Jared Jones pitch yesterday.
Speaker 2: He's got nasty stuff to Oh yeah, he does up.
Speaker 1: To one hundred and want us a ninety mile hour slider,
which is just it's probably a seventy great pitch change
up is okay. It's all sitting there for him to
be a top of the rotation guy. It's just he
just needs better control, better, better command of his pitches.
He just leaves too much stuff like hanging over the right,
over the plate. It's nasty stuff, there's no question. And
Bubba Chandler is about the same. So these are guys
that are are kind of a small tweak away from
being dominant here, and so I again, I love the
Pirates of what they're doing. From a pitching standpoint. You
figure set there Nandez next season he could be a guy.
It's interesting guy at the end of the season.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, and you look at that starting rotation. I
think we could both say that it could be a
top three rotation next year. Yeah, it has that much potential.
Speaker 1: But right one of one or both of those Eric
Jones and Bubba Chandler need to get the potential off
their resume and actually do.
Speaker 2: Yeah, totally agree, and they better do it in the
next couple of years because we know as fall schemes
approaches free agency, he ain't a Pirate long term. No, No,
that's no, it's a given. He's he'll be gone in
his age twenty seven season, assuming he stays health he
continues pitching, he man be signing a half a billion
dollar contract somewhere.
Speaker 1: Yep. Looking at the games today, the Mets are up
five nothing over the Phillies. No, I saw that off
to nice start. Francisco Lindor hit a home run. I
saw a news report that they're reporting that Francisco Lindor
will probably not get moved at the trade deadline. Imagine
that no one wants to take that huge salary on.
Speaker 2: I'm shocked, I really am. I figured after hearing the
news about Pittsburgh, they find a way to worry into
their pay roll. Just sorry, sorry, I got to get
off that Pittsburgh thing here. The one thing though, that
the today's game clearly identifies for the Phillies as they
don't have a fifth starter. Rangell was going out today
in three inning, six heads, five or drums A couple walks. Yeah,
they and you take and throw Nola into this situation. Okay,
so now you're down to with the Phillies. Uh, you're
down to basically Christopher Sanchez, Okay, Zach Wheeler and jesus Lozardo.
You got a three man rotation, but four and five
isn't going to carry anywhere. The Phillies might be looking
at the starting pitching as a starting pitcher as well
as as well as a bullpen.
Speaker 1: H Yeah, I think it's time to just tell Aaron
Nola thanks for the memories past, but this we can't
continue with. This just been awful. But I mean going
to going into if the Phillies can get into the
playoffs going with Sanchez, Wheel and Lozardo not much better
than those three guys. Somebody else, show me who's got
a better one two three. Maybe the Dodgers, But that's
that's nasty going up against that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but they're gonta win all their games because we
know what's gonna happen with the other two. For what
we're watching it today. With the Mets being up where
is it five nothing into the third Hilly Phillies still
have to win some games. They're gonna need another pitcher.
I think I agree with you. Heading into the playoffs
that will one two three is great, And maybe what
the Phillies will do is they'll just they'll just suck
it up and try and find a couple of good
bullpen arms and really play for the playoffs early.
Speaker 1: Right, I do think I think you're right. I think
they do need to get a starting pitcher. I don't
think they're gonna up of the rotation guy they'll probably
get because anybody they pick up is going to be
better than Aaron Nola, right, So, and rang Gall's not
the answer. So if they can get a guy that
can come and give them quality innings, a Mitch Keller
type of guy. You know, they can pitch to a
four to fifty era keep you in the game. I
mean that's that's I think that's who they need.
Speaker 2: Well, they got enough offense they can make that work.
Speaker 1: Yeah. The White Sox, Timy, are going to win again.
They're fifty one and forty six, soon to be fifty
two and forty six. Just a remarkable call by you. Coles.
Montgomery continues with another home run today, his twenty fourth.
He's going to hit forty home runs them. Yeah.
Speaker 2: The one he hit today was a h It was
a splayter that didn't split. It sort of hung up there,
and yeah, Montgomery hit it a long, long way. One
interesting thing that I did see. I watched the game
yesterday closely because I wanted to see I wanted to
see beaver c Is looking yeah, yeah, yeah. And you know,
the White Sox will hit a pile of home runs.
You look at that line up and they simply will.
They will hit home runs. But yesterday all four of
the Jay's pitchers, Bieber and the three relievers that came
in after they were throwing junk up there at them.
It was all breaking stuff. Barlin's got one hundred miles
an hour fastball, and I think he threw two pitches
or three. It was a very small number that weren't
breaking balls, and they shut the White Sox down. That's interesting.
Speaker 1: That was one of my questions on Bieber. I mean,
obviously the fastball's not there, but he could still pitch.
So you go against the team that just has seaball
hit ball type of players, with Colson, Montgomery and Murakami
and those guys, and they get yeah, yeah, and they
could be pitched. And you're saying that that's what Bieber
did to have have a six means three hits, six
strikeouts and two walk out.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: No.
Speaker 2: Uh, And all the relief pitchers didn't exactly the same
the same thingstead Steady died of breaking stuff, and they weren't.
They weren't hitting it. It's just simple, as simple as that.
Speaker 1: So that that begs the question, did Shane Bieber have
a great game and now I can start him, start
to start them, or is this like this was a
bit of an anomaly. Uh.
Speaker 2: I think if he continues to do what he did
on Saturday, mixes his pitches up and the breaking stuff's working.
I started him yesterday.
Speaker 1: How I did? I did not. I had no faith
that he would do anything.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well I was protected in e er A in
both those leagues, so it didn't no matter what happened, okay.
And I knew that the Jays would not hang him
out there for eat and runs. Okay, that was not
gonna happen, So I figure it worst. I'm gonna end
up with, you know, hey, with a five earned run
type effort. At best, he pitches a little bit better,
which he had in the I think it's the prior
starter to start Before that. It was just one of
those situations where I had everything to gain, basically nothing
to lose. So I threw him out there, and hey,
I got lucky. It worked. Am I going to start
him in his next start as long as it's not
the Dodgers? Probably?
Speaker 1: Yes, So he's home against the Rays.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm starting him walk Kevin Arrow, okay, and live
with the rest.
Speaker 1: I'll probably start him and get toasted again, and I'll
have every one of his bad starts.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm not sold yet that he is returning to
where he was, but he sure looked good yesterday. All right,
mixing it up and hitting his spots. Okay, and the
White Sox got shut down by the breaking ball yesterday, Yeah,
and I say it was it was. It was funny
to watch Barlin with us under my bastball throw him
breaking stuff up there. Yeah, but I mean in getting
the strikeouts.
Speaker 1: So we'd have to really dig in to find out
how do the Rays do against fastball versus breaking pitches,
to find out if it's the right start, because I mean,
if if it's a if it's a guy like so,
if you're trying to figure out should you start Bieber,
you got to get to a team like the White
Sox that are hunting fastballs, and Bieber's just like, anna
throw you a ton of him because he does that
to pitch and carve a po lineup.
Speaker 2: MM.
Speaker 1: I don't. I don't know if the Razor like that.
Speaker 2: They have those those pesky hitters, right they do, So
I don't. Yeah, yeah, I don't. I don't really have
the answer. I'm gonna start him again though.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I definitely wouldn't start Beaver against the Yankees because
the Yankees are notorious pesky hitters. You know, they just
hang in against guys. Speaking of the Yankees, they got
a double hitter against the Dodgers, which, you know, if
you like baseball, doesn't get any more story than the
Dodgers against the Yankees. Dodgers are up three to one,
with Yamamoto beating Schlitzler up a little bit. Schutler's four
and a third inning, six hits, three earn runs, eight
strick huts though, and no walks.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I it's a solid outing by Yeah. My Moto's
allowed one hit, a home run to Trent Cursham. That's it.
He's been totally drow Yeah, a Moto through six innings
is throwing sixty eight bitch. That's impressive.
Speaker 1: It is particularly against the Yankee team, again, the Yankee
team that does not have Aaron Judge. The Braves are
up three to nothing on the Texas Rangers. Everybuddy, everybuddy,
why Lankfort's up to batting two seventy seven, got some
home runs, got another hit today. They evol kind of
getting beaten up a little bit after a pretty decent
season this year against the Braves. But and who's pitching
for the Braves. We've got Grant Holmes, three, forty five
year old. Did you have that on your bingo?
Speaker 2: Card uh no, staying healthy and the troubles associated with it.
I did you know? You know who's turning into an
incredibly good ball player. It's the Braves Drake Drake Baldwin.
You know, two for two today, two run scored and
RBI home run is seventeenth and a strolling base for
good measure. Baldwin is looking like the real deal and
he's hitting out of the leadoff spot. How many gadgers
not naming real Mudo do you see hitting out of
the leadofs but many.
Speaker 1: Drake Bolin won the Rookie of the Year and he's
basically building on this season. Austin Riley it is eleventh
time running hits his tenth term run yesterday. How should
I think about Austin Riling or the thirty home run
seasons gone? And I should think of him more as
a twenty twenty home run guy. I mean, why do
I think about that?
Speaker 2: He's not somebody that I'm going to be rushing out
to ross or dreaming of the past. I I'm thinking
twenty twenty five home runs with a low batting average.
That's That's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 1: His average X of velocity is definitely down this season.
Used to be ninety three. It's ninety this year. But
he has got a ton of launch in his his
uh best, he's trying to hit home runs. I mean,
he's got a three thirty ninth s luck so it's
a two and eleven batting average. So something's not working.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I was going to say something something's not working.
It is he ever healthy?
Speaker 1: Maybe not, but he's got four hundred plate appearances this season,
so he play like he's healthy.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you want that batting average. I want that.
Speaker 1: Batting average unless it's going to come with thirty five
home runs.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I don't think it will. So that's why
I'll be staying away. Moving forward.
Speaker 1: The Red Sox again, if the season were to end today,
they would be in the playoffs. They have caught the
Tampa Bay Rays. It's one to one. Let's see Durban
with another run scored. Johnny Jones is taking some playing
time away from Jared Jones. He's batting lead off and
one for one because they I don't know if you
picked that up. They actually picked him up. I think
it was as a cash deal.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I once we got through about the middle of
middle of May. Chad Durbin has turned into a very
very good baseball player. He's now up to eleven stolen bases.
Uh batting average, yeah, two thirty eight. But he's played really,
really well since that slow start. And for those of
exercise patients, good on you. And who stole a base
for the Rais glacios. Who hit the home run? Victor
Mason Junior, Victor Mason Junior.
Speaker 1: Let's take a look at Caleb Durban what he's done.
Where should I go back to? What date? Yeah?
Speaker 2: Back June first? Yeah, June firston be a good date.
Speaker 1: I'd like June first. He's hit two ninety five with
eight home runs.
Speaker 2: And how many stolen bases with.
Speaker 1: A five thirty three slock. That's actually pretty impressive.
Speaker 2: Five.
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's pretty good.
Speaker 2: Yeah, very good, solid player. I don't thanks for going
back now, don't now look at look at where you
was hitting the end of May? All right, team middle,
middle of the middle of May. We'll go to the
middle of me April.
Speaker 1: Okay, May sixteenth through a sixteenth through the beginning of
the year. See, hey there is Oh, Timmy, I screwed
this up. There we go, yeah, uh, one sixty nine
from the middle middle of May through early uh, from
the beginning of the season the middle of May.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah for those that picked him up off the
waiver wire and added them, added him towards the middle
end of May. Man, that's huge rewards for sure.
Speaker 1: Timmy, let's take a break. We've been going, well, we've
been going for a long time. Sorry about that, So
take a quick break and come back and finished the conversation.
Speaker 2: Sounds good.
Speaker 1: Did you enjoy your all start break?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. I actually watched the home run derby.
I didn't watch the game, which is yeah, pretty well
typical Jordan Walker.
Speaker 1: I heard, I heard the hormone Derby was more exciting
this year.
Speaker 2: What did you think, Well, yeah, I thought it was.
It was nice to see Jordan Walker come back and
hit all those home runs. You have to hit four
or five home runs in a row to take it
away from Schwarber, And yeah, that was sort of cool.
But as far as the game though, I just took
a look at the box and somebody's pitching shut down,
somebody's hitting pretty solidly at that, didn't.
Speaker 1: He It was pretty much. The only run scored was
right in the first inning, right, So that was it.
Speaker 2: It was it was.
Speaker 1: It was cricket, so I didn't watch. I pretty much
shut down. I did not watch the home Run Derby,
and it watched the All Star Break All Star Game.
I went out and had steak on Thursday night at
Peter Luger's. So yeah, so yeah, that was that steakhouse
has been around since the eighteen hundreds, so it's a
classic New York restaurant. We've we met some friends and
family there and uh, it just had a great time.
It was a three hour meal to me. We just
sat there and ate and drank. It was great. The best,
the best waiter ever. Lou just made fun of us
the entire time. It was great. Yeah, It's like he's like,
somebody would order us. If you don't want that, I'm
not bringing you that. This is what you're going to
get instead. It's like it's just brought of stuff. It
was great.
Speaker 2: And my guess is his choices were well received, right, yeah.
Speaker 1: They were right. He's like, what are you doing. He's
been there for fifty years or whatever, and don't don't
buy that, get this. It was great. So but and
then the evening and then and then things started off
for me on Friday night, more baseball stuff and we're
writing and oh bummer. The minor leagues really didn't get
kicking in until Saturday. There was a lot of teams
off for some odd reason on Friday night. So so
this week instead of up top top twenty half prospects
of the week, it's going to be the top twenty
breakout players of the year so far.
Speaker 2: Oh good, good choice, good choice. I think I know
what happened with the minor leagues after that seven inning game.
They wanted to make sure everybody was well arrested.
Speaker 1: Yeah, probably I gave you yeah, yeah, yeah, you.
Speaker 2: Knew that was coming. Yeah.
Speaker 1: It's eighteen breakout Players five and DSL thirteen and traditional ball.
And then I got to timmy bounce back players, guys
that were left for dead who have like, oh he
actually is playing well, so which is probably my favorite.
I could have done, you know, dozens on that category
and dozens on the other one, but I just picked
a bunch that I like that Ezra and Valdez. As
I mentioned, if I hit another home run, well, what
do you think of for the rest of the season.
He's got to call. He's gonna he has to cool down. Otherwise,
he's the best player in baseball. But what do you
think about it? How should I think about Ezmralyn Valdez
for the rest of the season.
Speaker 2: I mean, the power is real. He can hit the
ball a long way. He's not going to hit it
a long way as much as he has. Like you said,
he'll be the best player in the game. But would
you be disappointed if you got three four home runs,
ten twelve rbiys and too thirty batting average over the
balance of the season. I don't think I'd be disappointed.
Speaker 1: Yes, just two or three more home runs?
Speaker 2: Really? No, three four a month? Sorry, I'm thinking I'm
talking for a month.
Speaker 1: So ends with twenty home runs, one a week.
Speaker 2: Yeah, with the head start that he's got right now,
he's been a great ad.
Speaker 1: He's got to get some some Rookie of the Year
votes if he gets twenty home runs.
Speaker 2: Well, and I don't think that's a I don't think
that's a really extreme projection. You know, a home run
a week, Yeah, maybe every ten days, that's you know,
with the numbers he's already put up. Yeah, that is
a good season. And he's twenty two years old, right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there's a lot of swing and missing this game,
a lot of chasing this game. Essentially, somebody's going to
figure that out. So the fear is that he just
doesn't hit at all and there is no more home
runs because he just doesn't hit. Yeah, and told they
make in tols, the pitching makes the adjustment. I mean,
he's he's he's been a godsend. If people picked him
up on a ten, recommended him a few weeks ago,
I mean it's it's this is how you win leagues, Tim,
there's no question.
Speaker 2: Yeah. And as far as future is concerned, is there
any reason why he can't be a twenty five eighty
two thirty type. Bet?
Speaker 1: I think that's probably. I think I'll even have more
power than that. But I think he's going to hit
about two thirty. And I think that's just the guy.
It's just the guy.
Speaker 2: Yeah. As a fifth oat fielder, will you take that?
I'll take that.
Speaker 1: I'll take that.
Speaker 2: I won't I won't take him as a number two
or three oat fielder, but I will take him as
a as a four or five.
Speaker 1: Lost the shuffle and I want to make sure we
get this because Kristin Curtis got his Major league, made
his major League debut. Yeah, yeah, has a pet a
pretty good season, really well in Double A, got beaten
up a little bit in Triple A, but just came
up as the bulk guy and shoved it, you know,
for five innings against the Whites. Well, I forgot who
they played, whoever they played and Detroit and just shoved.
And then the bullpen blew it. As Tim was saying earlier, Santana,
I think blew it last night. But what about Christian
Curtis going forward? Is there even a role for him?
Speaker 2: I had him originally on my weaver wire piece and
pulled him because the Pirates brought him up simply for
that for that one game the doubleheader. Okay, And I'm
not sure moving forward they're paying Killer, they're gonna start
above a Chandler, and you know, Jered Jones, I think
he's going to get future opportunities when I have no idea.
It might take an injury, you know, because the Pirates
are stuck with Keller and they're not going anywhere with
Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones. I'm not even going to
bring up Ashcraft with Skins, So where are the opportunities
barring an injury? That there aren't any I liked what
I saw, and he's going to get more starts throughout
the season, but I just couldn't recommend him right now
because I have no idea when that needs going to arise,
and hopefully it doesn't, but it will. It's just the
way of the world.
Speaker 1: Flipping over to let me get back to my notes
to uh, Milwaukee Brewers are kind of worse. Fears of
Brandon Woodriff were realized when he went under underwent season
ending shoulder surgery, same shoulder, Timmy. Yeah, it's it's like,
think this third surgery. I mean, if you got him
in a Dynasty league, I don't know, man, this is
he might be done. That's this is this is rough.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it is really really rough. I feel for random Woodrope.
I really do I get another long roll back from
a rather you know, serious injury.
Speaker 1: Yep, yep, agreed there. But so we're trying to figure
out why the Brewers traded for Lance mccollor. So that
and I kind of put a little post out for
our Patreon members, like maybe the Brewers have figured out
how to keep guys healthy, which all of a sudden
we find out Brandon Woodward's done for the season, so
that's not true.
Speaker 2: And Logan Logan Henderson's dealing with issues too, So.
Speaker 1: It's it's a weird trade on the surface because I
mean it's cheap, it doesn't cost them much. But but
you kind of like the other guy that came along
with them.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I don't think Robert Gasser is the answer.
And the guy they picked up Colton Gordon. He was
having a pretty good year down on the farm this
year at Triple A. And if I'm sitting there tonight
and I'm looking at Lance mccolors or Colton Gordon, I
put a buck or two down on Gordon. Call it
a hunch, call it whatever you want to call it,
but I think there's more to Colton Gordon. Then people
are acknowledging at this point in time. And maybe maybe
maybe I'm totally wet band the years or whatever you
want to call it. Maybe I'm totally on glue, but
I I think Gordon can replace Gasser in that rotation
at some point.
Speaker 1: Wow, that's a bold that's a bold statement. I I mean,
he doesn't throw that hard. Stuff's not good, Okay, I mean,
I I don't think lancema Colors is the answer. So
I mean maybe maybe they got a pill, a blue
pill followed by a green pill that they give him,
and also his his arm is healthy for the rest
of the season. But so I think out of the two, yeah,
I think spending any money on Lanthemon Colors makes no sense. Okay,
now I'll throw it on a buck on Colton Gordon.
I just just everybody know he throws ninety one miles
an hour, so he doesn't throw that hard.
Speaker 2: No, I wish I weldre throwing a buck down on
Kyle Harrison a long time ago.
Speaker 1: Fair point. Oh, Kyle Harrison is apparently he's pitching against it.
If he comes back, then all this stuff is mood
because of those bring Kyle Harrison back and should be
in pretty good shape.
Speaker 2: But I mean the Brewers, imri On Harrison came back clean.
Speaker 1: Yep.
Speaker 2: I know, so that's good. That's a good good news
for the Brewers and their bands.
Speaker 1: To me, if if I'm a Brewers fan and I
just lost Brandon Woodruff, I want the Brewers to cash
in on some of this excess prospects that they have.
I mean, Jaden Fielder is Prince Fielder's son Right, and
he wasn't drafted. He was signed as a free agent.
So this is not a well regarded high end prospect.
And that was the guy they traded for Lance mccullor.
So that's they didn't have to give up much. So
it's time to fork over somebody that's got, you know,
some talent, to bring in a pitcher that can help
them in the playoffs. That's what I think they have to.
I think it would be brilliant if they brought in
Trek scoobl and just said, you know, we're going for
it and they give up a couple of their top prospects.
Speaker 2: They are not going to miss him to them, No,
they know, and and you know the top top prospects
aren't going anywhere.
Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, no, jesus, my dad, Lewis, Yeah,
those guys. I would probably be Lewis Laura, but that's
just me. But because I think he's more of a
fourth kind of outfielder. But I would I would welcome
back with open arms, Enning, Freddy, I bet you turns
into seven and a half inning, Freddy.
Speaker 2: Hey, I'm not going to bet against you on that one. No, definitely,
definitely not. But You're right, that would be the logical approach,
but it is is it the Milwaukee approach? I just
don't know.
Speaker 1: Well, I mean it's not the Milwaukee It's not historically
been the Milwaukee approach. I mean, they are the least
revenue team in baseball, so they have to manage that.
But they've got Look I write about prospects, to me,
pretty I think we've talked with this, it's pretty safe
to say if they don't have the best minor league system,
it's top three. I mean, it's that deep. Yeah, I
think it's fair fair to say between them and the race,
it's the deepest. I mean, they've got guys that can
go thirty thirty five deep and they don't. Those guys
in the thirties are not going to see the light
of day in Milwaukee, but there's going to be somebody's
top ten prospect in another system.
Speaker 2: M Yeah. No, it's all set up for them to
be to make those moves, and I agree with you
they should make those moves. Historically though not so much,
you know what I mean, it's totally yeah, Yeah, it's yeah.
They just traded for Lions for colors, I know, Yeah,
we just we get a ver discussion. We answered this question,
didn't we?
Speaker 1: Yeah, it makes just makes no sense at all, but
which means there's got to be something else at play
final thing before we take another break, just some I
call a stud update. Jose Ramirez says he's getting close.
He might skip a rehab assignment. Ronald Acunas should be
ready sometime next week. Max Freede is having his first
rehab start this week. Aaron Judge nowhere near and actually
Will Smith kind of flying under the radar. I mean
he might not be He might not be back until
the playoffs if that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and somebody should really invest in some duct tape
and put a double layer around Rushings. Yeah, he's uh,
he annoys me. I think he annoys the whole world
right now.
Speaker 1: What did he say?
Speaker 2: Well, he's just moulty constantly. There was that pitching thing
with Otani a couple of weeks back, and then he
got into a yelling match with Carry. I think it
is in Colorado, you know, Like, I just I don't
Dalton Rushing is going to be a player that I'm
just I don't like. I just don't like it. Arrogant.
Speaker 1: This has nothing to do with with stut players about
ready to come back. You did a complete contact switch
on me. You just switch it up. Well, no, I
don't like Dalton Rushing.
Speaker 2: Well yeah, the reason that came up is because of
Will Smith. The Dodgers want Will Smith back in a
big way, for all of the reasons, for all of
the reasons that he's not Dalt and Rushing.
Speaker 1: I was that, Oh, now, your regions friend, I'm bustling
on Tim red Sox now up four to one, potentially
gonna win thirteenth, thirteenth game in a row. Good for them,
good to say, let's let's let's let's take a break,
come back into Tim's waiver war. And I got a
bone to pick with Tim on his waiver warm me too, No, players, Tim,
the the old waiver war is a little on the
light side today.
Speaker 2: Yeah it is very very light. Yeah, it's like quirks light,
bud light. Yeah, it's way way way late today. Just
not Hey, I search time, and I look, there's just
nothing that they've reached out to me and said, Yeah,
I think a lot of it has to do with
the break and teams getting squared around. Yeah, yeah, I'm
sure next week will be will be much better, but
this week we was Yeah, it was Lean.
Speaker 1: I love the first name, though, I mean, Charlie Condon
has been all world the season. I mean primarily we
just did Durban. If we go back and do the
same thing with Charlie Condon, he's been fantastic over the
last couple of months. Again, granted it's been out in Albuquerque.
We'll see what happens when he gets to the major leagues.
Usually the Colorado Rockies somehow screw guys up. We'll see Timmy,
but he looks ready. I think they need to have
some guy in the middle of that lineup that they
can point to. Is this is our guy going forward.
Let's bring him up, Let's keep him up. We're going
We're going to the death with this guy. And I
think that's Charlie Condon.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the futures should start before a cup of coffee
in September.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree. Let's let's get it done.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly. You look at the park factor. I
know Albuquerque been half of his games, and couriers should
be about the same as Albuquerque, shouldn't they if you're purposes, Yeah.
Speaker 1: I guess, I mean, I guess, I mean they something
happens to him. I I mean, I'm not a believer
right to have Charlie Condon and a couple of dynasty
leagues if he gets caught up, I'm putting them in.
Don't get me wrong, But I don't know. I've been
We've been burned so many times with these. Did I
say that cole kerrag has looked great?
Speaker 2: Yeah he has. He's looked really, really good.
Speaker 1: So okay, uh my next one is up when I
have a bone to pick with you, and that's Harry Ford.
Harry Ford has and you admittedly say he's been brutal.
This he's brutal in the minor leagues. Yeah, I'm reading
the last sentence. Roster him as a number two and
enjoy the rewards. What rewards, Tammy, What rewards are we
going to enjoy? Well?
Speaker 2: Right now, who has the best offense in baseball? The Dodgers, No,
the Washington Nationals?
Speaker 1: What what's your what's your criteria for that.
Speaker 2: Run scored?
Speaker 1: Okay, we're okay, that's what we're using.
Speaker 2: Okay, Okay, the Nationals of Hey, let's let's let's not
look at the score against column. But the Nationals have
right now the highest scoring offense in the game.
Speaker 1: The guys followed by my Pittsburgh Pirates at five twenty eight.
Speaker 2: The Nationals can score runs. Okay, Now, Harry Ford. I
don't know why Harry Ford was having such a miserable
season down in the minors. Maybe it was pouting. I
have no idea what was going on with Harry Ford.
But Harry Ford is a better player than what his
stat line is will show you from the first two
and a half three months.
Speaker 1: Why do you say that.
Speaker 2: Because the history up until this point in time has
shown that to be the case. And he's one of
those players that I were there many people out there
that were down on Harry Ford. Are's a prospect?
Speaker 1: Now I've been down on him for the last year
and a half. But that's just me. You have to agree, mate,
as you've had your chime. So here's my problem, tim.
His speed is completely gone. Thirty five stolen bases in
twenty twenty four seven last year, zero so far this season.
Speed will have to Maybe he was never really that fast,
so the speed is gone. He's hitting the ball at
eighty five point five miles an hour. In twenty twenty
five in triple A he hit eighty eight point eight,
which is a little bit better. There's no leverage in
his swing at all. It's nine degrees of launch. That's
a eight to twelve home run guy. He walks a ton.
I'll give him that walks a ton, but there's huge
chase in his swing. Even though he walks a ton.
I I'm looking at a eight to ten home run guy.
He's not gonna hit, and he's not. He's a terrible
defender in the behind the plate as well, So I'm
down on him. I just don't see. I don't see
the player got a good first game.
Speaker 3: Other than that you like him, I mean part of it,
I don't part of it.
Speaker 1: I think he he played extremely well in the lower
levels of the minor leagues and got exposed when he
got to the upper levels of the minor And I
don't know what happened to the speed. I just don't know. Yeah,
I mean, that's weird.
Speaker 2: Win. As a number two type catcher hanging in the
ninth spot in the offense, it scores the most runs
in the game. Following him in the lineup when he
plays two three times a week is going to be
James Wood. Luis Garcia junior, Curtis Mead and C. J.
Abrams and after that his cruise in Lisle with the
fringy types. But I mean the offense, may I may
I He's going to score runs if he gets on base.
Speaker 1: Is he going to play in front of Cabert Ruiz?
Speaker 2: I don't think so initially, But I think he'll get
two to three games a week, all right, but two.
Speaker 1: Or three games a week as the backup catcher, all right. Yeah,
I'm taking the opposite view. So okay, I I don't
know what happened to Harry Ford. And maybe I look
at a great first game and maybe it's maybe he
was pouting. Now he's up and he's going to be
all world. He's going to go as Rulin Valdez on us.
I'm betting.
Speaker 3: I'm betting the under.
Speaker 2: I bet.
Speaker 1: I bet the under Harry Ford. And I think I
might have Harry Ford at tinyst League. So I mean,
I'm betting against myself. But maybe I got rid of
all my shares with Harry Ford.
Speaker 2: But uh yeah, yeah, And he didn't run. Why didn't
he run? Was he told not to run?
Speaker 1: I don't know, told not to run in two organizations though,
that's what's weird. I know, I means notoriously kind of
get beaten up and stop running. The athletic ones.
Speaker 2: So yeah, no, there are there are some catchers that
I think he can best as a number two.
Speaker 1: Yep. That's the thing. This kid that was taking third
overall in the draft on Lackey and.
Speaker 3: He could be.
Speaker 1: I mean, he could be like an amazing baseball player.
He's fast, I mean, he can run, but all of
a sudden you look at him, it's like, is he
gonna Is he gonna stay behind the plate? Looks like
as the defensive chops to stay behind the plate. You're hoping,
particularly if you're a fantasy player, that he gets out
from behind the plate so you can keep running. Otherwise,
I mean, the history is not kind of these athletic
guys I carry forward. I mean, this is what happens.
They just stop running and then maybe they're not that good. Yeah.
Speaker 2: For purposes of our game, it would be nice if
Harry Ford and stolen ten bases this year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, because ten bases with ten home runs is okay.
Ten home runs with no stolet Bay exist with a
two thirty batting average is a little disconcerting. That's my fear.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and that's a legitimate fear. I agree. I might
have been a little a little bit bullish on for it.
I've always liked Harry Ford, I have to.
Speaker 1: Up until about a year and a half ago, I said, well,
what's going on here?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, anyway, it's good to have arguments and discussions.
We can't agree on everything.
Speaker 2: No, you mean I'm not right all the time.
Speaker 1: You're right, happy, Angel Martinez second base, outfield. You're just
telling us he's coming back soon.
Speaker 2: He's coming back soon. Well, he's only roster to forty
three percent. Okay, he swings a little bit too much
of everything is the anti guardian bat. Okay, I'll have
dudes looking at OVP and it reflects it. But you'll
hit the power. You'll steal basis for the purposes of
our game, especially in the banning average league. He's somebody
that you should be watching over for if he's if
he's somehow slept in in your pre agent pool, I
would find your way to get him back.
Speaker 1: Am I okay with being am I okay with him
not being a guardian type player. I kind of like that.
I think they need some non guardian like players.
Speaker 2: He's not.
Speaker 1: Yeah, neither of Ramiros.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, but they got to have some offense somewhere,
don't they.
Speaker 1: I agree, I mean I I look, I've benefited from
Angel Martinez in a couple of leagues and it's been great. Disappointing.
He broke his foot, but hopefully he'll be back. And
I mean, look, guy's coming back from broken feet. I mean,
that's a broken foot. That's not good. I mean, it
might take him the rest of the season, even in
the next season, fully heal. I don't know how much. Yeah,
I mean he's going to do. But he's a pretty
good baseball player.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, as your middle infielder, you could do a
lot worse. I think I am, in a couple of leagues,
a lot worse.
Speaker 1: Flashing back in time, Jordan Montgomerys, Yeah, well, hey, his
rehab was just going stunningly good up until yesterday, and
he got toasted yesterday in Vegas.
Speaker 2: I think against Vegas. Uh, he's healthy. You know, twenty
twenty three is a long time ago, but he had
a nice three year run of success. Ah. If I
had a reserve spot sitting there, I'd put a buck
down just to see what happens.
Speaker 1: I don't think he's throwing that hard thinking plosity. Let's
you say he played in Vegas yesterday.
Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, let's take a look at that or
against Vegas.
Speaker 1: That's okay, was long? I just tap in Vegas here
and the eighth the one. Yes, we played for round Rock.
That is correct. Let's see what he did.
Speaker 2: He lost. He was always low nineties, I think anyways.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's averaging ninety sinkers averaging ninety, has fastballs eighty
nine point eight. Yeah, so he's yeah, he's not throwing
very hard.
Speaker 2: To I know the rules.
Speaker 1: I know the rules.
Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, okay.
Speaker 1: Uh Christian Scott, yeah, roster.
Speaker 2: I think we got to be liking Christian Scott a
little bit more than forty five. Okay. The strikeout rates
are good.
Speaker 1: Uh.
Speaker 2: He shut down the Phillies on Friday night. I think
it was seven strikeouts, pulled off the wind. Uh, yeah,
a lot. He's a young pitcher, but he's also on
the Mets do not sell list, and it's for a reason.
I sort of like Christian Scott moving forward. He's not
going to in quality start leagues.
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, they have they publicly come out and said
he's on the do not sell list.
Speaker 2: Yeah he is, they've come out. The other names on
the list were one Sodo of course, and then and you. Yeah,
there was. There was a few names on the list, yes, McLean, Yes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yes, all the good players. You want Freddy,
you want Freddy Broughton. He's sure, it's okay, great, yeah, playing.
I'll give you all my bad players, but I forget
about it. Okay, not gonna happen. No, But but you
want my best player?
Speaker 2: I got it, of course. Yes, yeah, we'll take one
soda as long as you eat ninety percent of the contract.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I don't know. Interesting.
Speaker 2: What do you think of Christian Scott long term?
Speaker 1: I think he's a solid picture to me, I actually do.
I think there's he could be a really solid number three. Yeah.
I liked him. He's coming through the minor leagues. I
got hurt there for a while. Yeah. I see a
two eighty seventy year a guy. Probably not, but a
few tell me he's a three forty three fifty guy
with a strikeout an inning winet twelve games. I think
that's a number three fantasy starter. I think it's a
pretty good baseball player.
Speaker 2: Who has a better career Christian Scott or Jonathan Tong.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, Jonathan Tong's in trouble.
Speaker 2: So I think so too. Yeah.
Speaker 1: So it's a little bit of Harry Harry Ford. He's
more famous than good at the moment, and he got
exposed when he got to the upper levels of the
minor leagues. I saw him in Somerset. I saw him
two games in a week, him against Elma Rodriguez. And
people get tired of these boring stories. I tell I
saw a guy who looked like tim Linsea come in
size and effort, a big fastball that like, can he
keep up the velocity? Here was a great change up.
He did not have a pitch that spun. He just
did not have a slider or curveball.
Speaker 2: That's not good.
Speaker 1: Yeah, particularly when you're right handed. You need something that
that you can throw away from a right handed batter.
And and that's that's problematic. Most of the pitch most
of the hitters are right handed. And and he could
dominate in double A throwing ninety seven with a nasty
change up, and he got triple A. And these guys
are like, okay, what else you got here are they
just destroyed it because he did have he didn't have
a curveball.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you gotta it's very rarely going to pitch succeed
with just two pitches.
Speaker 1: That's why they get thrown to the bullpens. If you
tell me, Jonah Tong turns into uh oh, who's the
Mets closer at the moment? What's his face? The guy
that's got the really good Devin. Yeah, Devin Williams. You
me Jonah? They moved Jonah Tng to the bullpen. I
also wanted to start to get very very interesting because
that would work. Right, ninety seven turns into ninety nine
with a devastating change up, that would work. It's Devin Williams,
that's exactly. That's his career.
Speaker 2: So yeah, and Devin Williams, this is likely to be
moving on the deadline, that's right.
Speaker 1: Yep, yep. You gotta figure out who's going to replace
Devin Williams. He's going to replace Devin Who should I
invest in for the Mets? And Devin Williams something, Luke,
he's gonna he's going to get moved to give me
another guy.
Speaker 2: If Joe.
Speaker 1: Always always glad to do Sam's work for him.
Speaker 2: So thanks.
Speaker 1: Only listens to me when he knows he doesn't have
to do his own work. Oh that sounds good.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, I don't have d my forehead.
Speaker 1: All right, let's finish this up. They got Lane Thomas,
who's been great to him. I mean he's been really
good of late.
Speaker 2: Yeah, did another home run last night. He's hey seven
seven or twelve the past week. He's got the batting
average up, he's stealing some bases. Yeah, go get Lane Thomas,
eleven percent of roster. Just go go get him. Enjoy
the ride.
Speaker 1: We didn't talk enough about Nick Kurtz getting hurt, and
that's a real bumper because he got off the slow
start and was just grooving here over the last couple
of months. And now as you say, he's out and
definitely and just like Aaron Judge, I mean that the
a's are in a tail. The a's are in a
tail spin here. So they're thinking Tommy White might be
the answer.
Speaker 2: What say you, Well, I think he's worthy and deeper
leagues of our attention. It's not like you can't hit
the bell ball a long way. I liked what he
did at Triple A. It just depends on whether or
not he gets the off opportunities to display that power
and when he and even if he does, there's still
a question of where we go long term. You know,
he's a d H in that organization because Nick Kurtz
is going to be around for a long time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he can play, but he's mostly been playing first
base of late.
Speaker 2: So well, yeah, when you yeah, and when you look
at third base in Oakland, Uh, they they've got somebody
who's smacking the ball over the place in Corona Grower, right,
Who's who's really hitting the ball? Well, are they going
to take and take him out of the lineup to
put in Tommy White at third base? I don't. I
don't think so. So that leaves you your DH slot
and there could be an opportunity there, but there is
no opportunity at first base for the next five to
ten years.
Speaker 1: If Tommy Wentz representatives are listening to this podcast, if
he adds some leverage to his swing, all of a
sudden set it. Yeah, the twelve home runs, he could
easily go to twenty. And whichiss the ball hard enough
eight eight degrees of beverage. I mean, you gotta start
swinging uphill a little bit, my friend. Otherwise, you know,
you're a marginal base, You're a marginal player at the moment.
So and Tim brings it up. And he was looked
upon as a power hitter, was in LSU, and then
he's never been able to never been able to equate
what he did at LSU. And I think his his
high watermark. I'm looking a twelve last season.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, and he finished eight. He's sitting in eight
in NCAA Division One history with seventy five career homers.
Speaker 1: That's right, it's twenty seven, eight, twenty four in three seasons.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's no doubte that he can't hit the ball
a long way. But he's going to make some fundamental changes.
And right now, that park that he's in for half
of his game sort of encourages either want to grip
it and rip it.
Speaker 1: I think that's that's what I would tell him to do.
I don't.
Speaker 3: I mean, are the A's good at this? I mean,
Nick Kurtz has.
Speaker 1: Been all world. But a lot of guys get up
there and just stub their toes.
Speaker 2: Well, yeah, you take a quick look at their lineup, Okay,
Like Jacob Wilson's a fine player, m but there are
some yeah yeah, Sogers drum and Shade Liande layers. I
do like the fact that they added to Grower and
he's doing He's not going to hit for power. He'll
steal some bases for sure, but up at the top
of that lineup, lineup, it might work. Henry Bolt, I
think he'll be fine. Uh. The problem the problem with
the with the A's is pitching, starting and relieving.
Speaker 1: Well, you can't bring it up and it's it's spottling.
I mean, k Jump just got absolutely destroyed by the
Nationals on Friday night. And you know in GenEx you
pitched pretty well last night, but I mean half your
games you're getting blown out. I mean it's tough.
Speaker 2: Well, we're talking about the Colorado Rockies an equivalent and
in equivalent worse.
Speaker 1: It's worse.
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah. And you know, if your bullpen can't jump
into the fray and hell boat, then you just multiply
everything times too and you're looking at a repeat of
the Colorado Rockies. I really hope that is not the case.
Moving into moving into Vegas, because right now I don't
think it matters what they do. They can't survive in
that park for half a year from a pitching perspective,
not at all.
Speaker 1: Well, I'm hoping they're being smart and building that stadium
that they're taking all that they're taking the environmental conditions
that we know are inherent to Las Vegas and these
these low humidity, high heat kind of areas, and they're
going to put something in place. I'm not a physicist physicists,
but I'm hoping they contracted with the local college un
l V and said, Okay, what should we put up
here to make sure this thing is more of a
neutral park.
Speaker 2: Mm hmm, yeah, because otherwise you're gonna have color out
of Rockies part too, aren't you.
Speaker 1: That's right? Yeah? And Nick Kurse could get a he
can hit home run out of any park. So let's
not build it for Nick Kurtz. Let's build it for
these poor pictures that that we know with Colorado Rockies.
You can't you can't beat guys twelve twelve to eleven
every game.
Speaker 3: You just can't do it.
Speaker 2: No, even in the best of years when Colera had
that monster offense, it still wasn't enough, was it.
Speaker 1: I know, I know, great, I think it's a good list.
It's a fun list. There's players here, a lot of
famous prospects in the list too, which is always kind
of fun. So but the next week there's going to
be more names. I just know there. Wrong.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, We're coming into the All Star week
and the break and everything else. It's sort of limited opportunities.
But I think we're going to start to see some
movement next week. Okay, as we start looking at trades.
Trades will open up spots, and my guess would be
next week will be a little heavier. The week after
that heading into the deadline will be very heavy, and
then the week after that, when we sort out all
of the player moves and all of the potential opportunities,
that's the week that's going to be a lot of fun.
Is once the dust settles and we take a look
and see who is going to be playing on a
regular basis that wasn't playing on a regular basis prior
to the trade deadline, we'll have some really interesting moves
and hopefully we can nail some of those before the
deadline and get these players on the cheap right.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Because here's the here's the problem with the deadline.
It's on the third this year, which is actually a Monday,
And if you're playing weekly leagues with weekly pickups, the
pickups are on the second, so we might not have
a lot of answers. So we're gonna have a lot
of chance to figure stuff out that first week in August,
but so will everybody else.
Speaker 2: So yeah, tricky. Yeah, I'm probably going to gear the
August second podcast the waiver Wire. I'm gonna probably do
some heavy speculating on that date simply to try and
provide some names that I think could work them them
themselves into a positive situation after the deadline.
Speaker 1: Yep.
Speaker 2: I'm always trying to be ahead of the curve rather
than behind it or stuck in it. And totally, yeah, hey,
you don't always you don't always win win those battles,
but recognizing, recognizing them all gives you better a better
chance to win some of those battles. I was sad.
Speaker 1: I think this season is even more complicated because of
the weirdness in the American League where everybody stinks and
everybody's still in it. And I mean we we had
Eroldas Chapman out for sure two weeks ago. He's no,
he's not, He's like getting moved.
Speaker 2: The Boston's won every Boston's won every game since we.
Speaker 3: Brought that up, right, that's right, that's right. They're in it.
Speaker 2: So you know what the smart move for Boston would
be to move Chapman because Garrett Whitlock could do the
Europe Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and they're not going to do that though through
the Red Sox, the Detroit Milwaukee should they're the ones
that played the smart base. Well not not not the
Yankees and Dodgers and Red Sox. They're like screwing all
for it. If we have a if we have a
sliver of a chance, we're going for it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, exactly, today's scaur final break.
Speaker 1: Get back and uh the game's already started, so I
got to get out there and finish watching it.
Speaker 2: Yes.
Speaker 1: Fortunately here in the UH in the New York area,
to the weather here has been bizarre. We had we
had the Canadian fires. I mean it smelled. You spent
a lot of time in India. You would fly into
Delhi and Delhi has this weirdness where they people burn
their crops all around the countryside and in the winter
time the air kind of gets inverted and you get
this this trap effect. Of smoke and smog, and you
get off the plane and it smells like wood burning everywhere.
It's unbelievable. You can apparently see. It was that way
in New York on Thursday. Everything I smelled and tasted
like wood. And we had these storms yesterday blow it
all out. Absolutely beautiful today, so it's a beautiful day
for the Cup is really nice. But apparently it's all
supposed to come back here by the end of the week.
But bizarre weather.
Speaker 2: Yeah, we we're dealing with where I am. I'm about
five hours away from the fires that are causing the
bulk of your smoke. But fortunately the wind is blowing
out of the west, so we're not incurring any of that.
But we have a rather large forest fire about an
hour to the east of us. It was in the
originated at a northern Minnesota and that's the smoke that
we're getting. We actually rescued. We had a situation where
our Air Force actually got involved at the request of
the Minnesota governor. There was a group of campers YMCA
campers and escorts about fourteen in them and they had
to be flown out. They got trapped in the stupid things, So, uh,
That's what we're dealing with, is you know, something reasonably
close but still far enough away that I'm not I'm
not looking at the vacuum evacuated right anytime soon. No,
We've we've had eleven or twelve communities totally destroyed or
I shouldn't say totally destroy We've had four that are
that are that are just gone. There's nothing small communities. Uh.
And this is not going to be over soon, folks.
It is going to last for quite a while because
we have millions of acres of bush and it's dry
and starting light.
Speaker 1: It's been lack of snow. I've heard it's been lack
of snow in the winter time because of climate change.
That's causing stuff not to melt and keep all of
the bush damp. And then you get a lightning strike,
it gets an unfortunate camping situation, and then the fire
starts and it burns for days.
Speaker 2: Yeah. It just most of the fires that are burning
in northwestern Ontario are burning in inhabited areas, areas where
there's no access by road plane. It's again, you take
a look at the map, it's there are millions of
acres of forest land up here that just sit. And
the other thing that happened is we did get a
fair bit of snow last year, but occasionally, and this
has a big bearing on things, the snow leaves too quick.
What you want to see is you want to see
winter turn into spring slowly, so the ground actually soaks
up that snow in that water over a fairly lengthy
period of time. If you get a really quick and
hot spring above normal, a lot of that moisture just
goes up into the air. That's right, And it doesn't
do us any good at this time of the year, right,
So again, I hey, I I take take my cap off.
It's it's a horrible situation. But it's not a situation
that anybody can do a whole lot about at this point.
Speaker 1: Lived through it, it's it's it's tough, you know. It's
funny because you get climate change on top of an
al Nino summer, which is winter some I don't know
what they call it, which is great for hurricanes, as
we're probably the reduced chances of hurricanes, But now we've
got everything else happening now, so you get the dryos
from the north, and it's just it's all this crazy
stuff that's going on. But today is beautiful, so I'm
going to watch the World Cup. To me, and I
don't have a rooting interest at all. I just want
to see Madonna, maybe McDonald's strapping on and go out
and play.
Speaker 2: So yeah, sounds sounds like fun. I I I hope
that everybody who's into the World Cup is glued to
their TVs. And uh, I'll say, go Spain, how's average?
Speaker 1: I think Spain. I watched Spain against h France. Boy,
they look they look good. I don't know anything about soccer,
but I'm or football. I'm looking at I going, how
do you beat that team? So we'll see again. They
had that they had the lesser of the two hotels.
That's my theory.
Speaker 2: So uh okay, I gotta go with it. I gotta
go with it.
Speaker 3: All right.
Speaker 1: My friend will talk on Friday.
Speaker 2: Yes, be safe, be well, and enjoy your afternoon of football.