Speaker 1: All right, it is eleven oh one in h Down.
Welcome to our number two of the Matt Thomas Show
with Ross seven one three two one two five seven
ninety seven one three two one two five seven ninety
Time for us to spend twelve forty minutes with our
good friend, the one and only Brian McTaggart. Brian, the
last time I saw you, we were on the river
Walk and joining life, breaking bread, getting ready for the
big event. How has your life been in the last
thirty six hours?
Speaker 2: Yeah, probably a lot, but a lot like yours.
Speaker 3: A bummer, just uh you know, thinking back on the
game and this could have happened, and this could have happened,
and uh yeah it stinks, doesn't it, just to get
that close.
Speaker 2: And uh not make it and uh yeah, just a bummer.
Speaker 1: So what how did you How did you handle the
post when all the confetti? Did you leave the same
as fast as humanly possible? Are you stuck because of
thirty thousand people trying to leave it? One time?
Speaker 3: Uh yeah, I got out of there so quick when
the confetti popped and I heard all we do is win,
win that song or whatever we out here, and I
walked out of there so fast, and I walked downtown.
I wasn't even staying downtown, so I'd uber back to
my hotel. I had no idea where I was going,
and luckily I found an Irish bar and comforted myself
for a couple hours.
Speaker 2: So Alicia got to put.
Speaker 1: I went to a Denny's and had chicken fried steak
leathered in cream gravy untill like twelve fifty in the morning.
There you go, it is what it is, all right,
let's get let's get to some baseball. Obviously you've been
home and you will be rejoining the coverage Friday of
the Angels in town five nothing. No matter what the
scenario is, you gotta hold that that's a stinging loss.
Tell me as you or are now approached two weeks
into the season, two plus weeks, kind of the state
of things? First is bullpen usage? The concern for you
right now is it bullpen actury? It could be a
little bit of both. Where are you right now on
where do you think Joe's trust factor is? Again saying
what you want to say here. They also won a
game going twelve innings and you have to have your
bullpen then, So maybe we're just catching them on a
bad day. Obviously, when you when you lose a five
nothing lead.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean you're coming off, you know, the worst
loss of the season out of only twelve. But uh,
they did, you know, if you're looking at it glass full,
they had a three and three road trip, so you know,
you take that, but yeah, the chance to have a
four and two road trip is right there. You know,
I think coming into the season, and I think I
told you that, you know, I think I thought the
biggest issue was probably going to be the bullpen, and
the bullpen had been pretty good up until up until yesterday.
And yeah, the hater was down because you with Arraghetty
being out and now you had a short start from Blanco,
you're having to use guys more. You're already behind the
eight ball a little bit in usage. So they really
need the off date to reset things. It's kind of
early for that to be happening, but that's the reality.
And and they're already doing some bullpen shuffling. But you know,
you know, Contreris came in and loaded the bases right away.
And then uh, you know, Okert, who's been really good,
you know, you're asking him just to you know, put
out a four alarm fire at that point, and you
know that's really tough to do.
Speaker 2: And the Brave ones the head scratcher, because that's that's.
Speaker 3: Where you're gonna need him sometimes to close games like that,
but you're gonna need him an eighth inning, and you know,
he can't come out there and just not command his
pitches and allow them to you know, to to win
the game like that. So that that's got to be
a you know, troublesome still early. I mean a Brave's
pitched the six games he's got, you know what, a
five plus e RA got to clean that up a
little bit.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 3: Still the offense still looks like a big issue as
well with the you know, several guys in the lineup
just not hitting. But again still still really early. Uh
and they're you know, they're five and seven. They're better
off and we were at this point last year. But
certainly there's some issues with this team.
Speaker 1: Yeah, still in the in the key is still early
and look, every team can turn it up or it
could be a season long problem. We don't have we
don't have a a crystal ball in front of us.
Speaker 2: Here on that.
Speaker 1: But was there any signs about a Bray. You look,
we spent a lot of the off season talking about
got to make sure his appearance count is reduced from
a year ago. Is there any signs in spring training?
He said, all right, the great Brian a Bray that
was a part of last year maybe isn't on the
plane just yet coming to Texas.
Speaker 2: Well.
Speaker 3: I mean, you know, it's really hard to tell in
spring with you know, especially veteran guys who are established
like him, they're always working on things. They're not necessarily
going out there and trying to blow guys away and
get out. So, I mean, he looked pretty good in
the spring, but you know, they played twelve games, he's
pitched six, so you know, you're right back at that,
you know, eighty eighty one game pace that they wanted
to try to avoid and they haven't been able to
do that so far in the first couple of weeks
of the season. But he's walked six guys in five
in the third innings. I mean, that's that's just they
that just can't continue. And so he's just whatever, whatever
the control issues are, he's got to rain that in.
He still has strikeout stuff, elite stuff, but the walks
are just killing them right now, and so that's that's
got to be corrected. But you know, Lewis Contreras has
watched five guys and six innings, and you know he's
he's not a guy that they're counting on as much
as a bray you. But I think I think we're
just gonna see a lot of shuffling in this bullpen.
But they need the back end guys. Hater who's been
really good I bray you and then you know, maybe
Brian King's or seventh in a guy. They need those
guys to step up and be consistent because I think
we're going to see a lot of shuffling and inconsistency
behind them.
Speaker 4: I imagine we agree Brian that at the end of
the day, whoever's gone out there has to get the
job done.
Speaker 2: And that didn't happen yesterday.
Speaker 4: But just in the moment of the decision making of
Joe a spot, how how have you been feeling about
the way things have been handled?
Speaker 3: I can't take qualms with with anything he's done. I mean,
I think they knew coming in the bullpen was was
probably not their strength. And you can only call on
the guys you have down there to bring out there
and go out there and pitch. I mean, losing Arraghetti,
you know that that was a big key piece of
the rotation.
Speaker 2: So they're going to have to, you know, fill that now.
Speaker 3: But I think as far as the bullpen decisions and
his lineup, I mean, this is not a team that's
five and seven because anything the manager has done. It's
just because they haven't hit and some of their key
relievers haven't gotten out.
Speaker 2: It's at key times. I mean, that's it.
Speaker 3: The starting pitch has been pretty good for the most part,
but I mean it's you know, I'm not going to
sit here and I mean watching these games, I haven't
seen anything where I'm.
Speaker 2: Like, oh, you know, what is Joe doing.
Speaker 3: I mean, he's he's doing everything he can at this
point to try to put.
Speaker 2: Them in position to win.
Speaker 3: And look, yesterday they were four outs away from a
four and two road trip and the bullpen imploded.
Speaker 2: So I mean, that's that's certainly not on him.
Speaker 4: Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk seven to ninety.
Let's go to the offense side. We know that it
will turn at some point. They are last in the
majors in tem OPS. But I guess the question remains
how much will it turn to Where we were hoping
for forty plus bombs from yr on, we're hoping for
for Jeremy Penion have the best offensive year of his career,
and I just it's kind of in the balance of
how close to those types of aspirations we had we'll get.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean they're I think their last and last
of slugging. They're I think they're twenty six and runs
last in doubles. It's just across the board. I mean,
Peyya had a really really good spring just from start
to finish. I mean he looked like a guy who
was just ready to come out and have his best season.
Still could but uh, you know, twelve games in he's
he's got a six thirty five OPS.
Speaker 2: You know. Alvarez is the one they got to get going.
I mean, they cannot win.
Speaker 3: If Alvarez is hitting one ninety five with a six
hundred OPS, with one homer every two weeks, it's just
they cannot get it done. Janner Diez is another one. Uh,
he has two hits and thirty three bats. I mean
just he's the guy that hits in the middle of
the lineup, and it's just just killing them right now.
So Peattie has been okay, you know, not bad. Brendan
Rodgers has been you know, okay. All two Bay's burnt
al two Bay, of course. I think Christian Walker another
guy who has to get it turned around a little bit.
I mean, there's three key bats. Dias, Walker and Alvarez
are just not getting it done right now. That is
the reason they're at where they're at. Yes, and they
can turn this around with one big weekend and everyone's
back on track. Cam Smith book out on him a
little bit. You know, he's coming around a little bit.
Of the bats look a little bit better. But you
really weren't. You know, you didn't know really what you're
going to get from him. But those key big three
bats in the middle have to get going.
Speaker 1: Brian mctagger at MLB dot com with us year on
Sports Talk seven to ninety. I want to go back
to the bullpen for a second, not necessarily the group,
but the Montero trade to Atlanta. Do you think in
your mind this has been in works for a while
that maybe a change of scenery would be better to
get something back in return, get a little bit of
financial savings on that or do you think that Dana said,
you know what, it'd be best serve if we moved
to somewhere else.
Speaker 2: My guess is they've been trying to do it for
a while.
Speaker 3: I mean, if you look at the moves they've made
over the last few months, I mean this this team's
in a little bit of a penny pinching mode. I
mean they traded it, uh, you know, Presley for you know,
financial reasons, and Tucker because they knew they wouldn't resign him.
So it only makes sense that Montero guy making the
money he's making eleven plus million, would be you know,
on the market as well. Maybe you know, some teams
wanted to wait to see how he did the start
the year, but certainly this was you know, may to
you know, a reliever. I think they can do without
who is expendable. The Braves can pay some money and
they you know, they can call up somebody else like
Bennett SUSA, who might be able to do you know,
a better job than the Montero. So I think it
was all you know, financially driven. They're just they're just
trying to save as much as they can I mean,
I think they'll have a lot more payroll flexibility of
this year, but they're just in penny pinsion mode right now.
And I say that they still have a you know,
a top five payroll. Penny pinching mode's relative here for
what the Astros do. It's not like they have a
small payroll, but they're trying to you know, avoid going
over the luxury tax and and you know, next year
they'll have a lot more money to do some things.
Speaker 2: But that's just kind of the reality they're in right now.
Speaker 1: Any's surprise about the amount of second base that Josel Twoba.
Speaker 2: Has played that he hasn't played. Does that he has
played so far has plays?
Speaker 3: Uh No, because I you know, Joe's never really said
he's gonna, you know, play this much or this much.
I thought he might play once a week. I don't
know how many as he started out there, two or
three maybe, so, uh you know, Brandon Rodgers is doing
a pretty nice job out there, not only defensively but
with the bat. But you know, Joe's been hesitant to
say exactly how he's gonna split that playing time between
left field and second and and maybe he really doesn't
know it's it's just gonna have to be on matchups
and parks are playing in and everything, and maybe there
is something to you know, they they maybe we should
playhim a little bit more at second base, but they
seem still committed to him being the everyday left fielder
out there.
Speaker 2: Man.
Speaker 3: You know, as long as he's hitting, you know, you
get him in the in the in there somewhere because
he's the one bright spot in this lineup and that
you know, he's Hoseal two bay.
Speaker 2: He shouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and look, let's go glass half ale to wrap
this up. As many things as there have been with
bullpen issues and line up being you know, bottom and ops,
it's five and seven. I mean, if you were not
a consumer of Astros baseball and you listen to a
conversation among fans and maybe to a certain extent this visit,
you think this team was two and ten so far,
and that's not the case they You know, it could
be a lot worse. It really could be. And starting
pitching for the most part has been pretty good. The
bullpen did do its job in that twelfth inning game,
and you know, on Jose A two bay, even though
the left field experiment has been a little bit of
a mixed back so far, and it's probably always going
to be that way. Is tearing the cover off the
ball right down.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you're right, it's five and seven. I mean, you
look back at Astro starts the last ten years. I mean,
you know, it's not uncommon for them to be, you know,
floundering around five hundred after two weeks, still trying to
feel things out. I guess if you know, going back
to the three main guys I was talking about, Walker,
Diaz and Alvarett, I mean, those those guys are gonna
come around. I mean, they're not gonna put up these
numbers forever. They are going to play better at some point.
So you're right, it does feel like they're two and
ten and doom and gloom. But they're five and seven
with you know, one hundred and forty plus games to
go and a chance for you know, still to do
plenty of damage.
Speaker 2: Are in a way worse situation than they were last year.
Speaker 3: But I know it's frustrating for Astros fans who all
they hear all spring training or positive things and we're
gonna do this and that, and then you know they
come out and get off a little bit of a
slow start. Look around the league, I mean there's a
lot of teams right around where they're at, and this
thing will sort itself out here in the next few weeks,
we'll get a better idea where they're at.
Speaker 1: Good staff has always tag Talk to you next week.
Thank you for the visitors. Always all right, guys you Yes,
Brian mctagger at MLB dot com. Eleven fourteen, Here on
the Matt Thomas Show at Ross coming up at the
bottom of the hour.