Dodgers Territory - Dave Roberts Joins! Building To Repeat, Infield Outlook

Episode Date: January 13, 2025

DT hosts Alanna Rizzo and Clint Pasillas break down reports that Roki Sasaki could be narrowing his options as he becomes eligible to sign with a team starting January 15. (2:27)(3:38) Last week, we debated whether the Dodgers truly need more starting pitching. With new reports suggesting Jack Flaherty is open to a short-term deal, should the Dodgers consider bringing him back?(13:25) Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts joins the show to reflect on the unforgettable 2024 championship run and share what excites him most about the 2025 season.(20:42) The idea of a six-man rotation has been a hot topic this offseason, and Roberts shares his perspective on how it could work for the Dodgers.(24:15) With the Dodgers' infield setup still a key talking point, Roberts gives us an exclusive glimpse into his plans for positioning players in 2025.Subscribe to DT on YouTube! DT is LIVE on Mondays & Thursdays at 12p PT/3p ET all year long!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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But I do think to Dino's point about playing to the end of the season through the end of the season, prepared us for playoff baseball. Hello, everybody, and good afternoon. Welcome to this Monday live edition. of Dodgers territory. I'm Alana Rizzo. That is Clint Paseas. I'm so happy to be back with you guys. Clint, holding down the fort last week with a couple great guests. We appreciate it, obviously. I am back from vacation, but before we get into the show today, by the way, we are welcoming two-time World Series champion manager Dave Roberts to the show coming up. He was on episode 30,

how apropos, he's coming back here today on January 13th. But before we get into that, let's talk about what really matters. Our hearts and our thoughts and our prayers, and hopefully a lot more than those things are going out to everybody impacted negatively by the unbelievable wildfires in Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Obviously, Clint, it puts things into perspective. We're going to talk about how our community can give back. But in addition to the thoughts and the prayers, I am so incredibly proud of the Los Angeles community, the way that they have shown up and shown out to give back to their loved ones and their friends and their neighbors. Yeah, it's been really moving to see people come together during this day.

devastating time. Thankfully, I am far enough away from the fires. I'm still close enough to see things. See, you know, have to deal with the least of it, which is just air quality, but people losing so much, losing their livelihoods, losing their homes. You know, pets, of course, getting lost somewhere in the mix. It's been absolutely devastating, but the community is pulling together. And we've got to keep pulling together because we're not out of, we're not out of the thick of it yet here. Yeah, I'm so proud of Los Angeles. You can just see all of the different images and videos and photos that people are posting about how people are coming together. And that's what it's about.

I know Los Angeles has a reputation, but unless you've been there, unless you're from there, unless you've spent a lot of time there, it's such a wonderful place. And they will rebuild and we're going to give you some information on how you can give back coming up on the show. And again, Dave Roberts is coming up too. So please rate us five stars. Like, subscribe. get your questions into the chat for Doc, kind enough to spend about 10, 15 minutes with us here today. Let's get to the big ticket before we welcome in Dave, Clint. Let's do it.

All right. Roki Sasaki, it's all the rage, right? Apparently, though, he's narrowing it down, Clint Pisces. So you're saying there's a chance because according to a Jack Curry of yes, he is out on the Yankees. According to Susan Slesser, he is not going to the San Francisco Giants. and apparently it doesn't look like he's going, where else am I? What else am I missing?

He's not going to the Giants. The Giants, the Yankees, and the Mets are apparently out on Sasaki. Reportedly out, Ben Badler also said on foul territory just a few minutes ago that Dodgers remain likely. He's also Sasaki and his agent have met with the, I think the Blue Jays a second time, met with the Padres a second time. We're still hoping that the Dodgers are right there at the top of the list. when it comes to landing Roki Sasaki,

but the 15th is but two mere days away, which is the opening of the new international bonus pool, the signing period and all that. The expectations are that he could have his team chosen by the end of the week. And signs, again, still continue to point very, very strongly towards the Dodgers. How are you feeling about it?

I would love it. I mean, we've said this all along. You know he's going to come at a very appropriate price tag, but I think for the long term, Roki Sasaki would be a great addition, which also brings up a question I wanted to ask you too, both Ken Rosenthal, Clint and Will Salmon saying that, you know what, Jack Flaherty, who's still out there, obviously seems to be willing to take a shorter term deal.

I mean, is that something that, let's say Sasaki's not a Dodger? Is that something that you are willing to entertain, considering that we could use some front end starter help, at least certainly for the first half of the season, you know, while we wait for Otani to come back, and for May and Gonsalind to ramp up, Kershaw to get healthy, those types of things. Yeah, I mean, at the start of the,

if you'd asked me this question two weeks ago, I would have said no. I would have said, I think the time for somebody like Jack Flaherty had passed. But then you start learning, hey, Shohayotani's not going to be available for probably the first month or two of the season. You don't know when Clayton Kershaw's services are going to be, you know, ready to go when they're even going to sign him.

him. You don't know what you have in Tony Gonsolin, who hasn't thrown a major league, you know, pitch in a year and a half. Same with Dustin May. He hasn't been on the mound for a while. You're getting some other dudes back from injury. There's just a lot of, I would say, concern out there. I love this starting rotation when it comes to getting into October. But you know you need to survive 162 games. So Jack Flaherty says he's willing to take a shorter term deal, you know, for high dollars and he's willing to be not even second fiddle maybe fifth fiddle for the Los Angeles Dodgers. I'm okay with it.

But the question is, is he okay with it? Is his agent okay with it? And that's where I feel like maybe the connection won't be there. Okay. Let me ask you this. And this is a question that Philip Fountain is bringing up to if they get Sasaki. Let's just say the Dodgers end up spending whatever it is that we have left, the $5 million on the international pool.

let's say they get Sasaki if he wants to be a dodger. And again, it seems like he's narrowing teams down, right? Do you think it makes sense to go for Flaherty as well? I mean, I know we're running out of spots. It's only a 26-man roster. I mean, you know, I'd love to have a 30-guy rotation, but we can't. So does that make sense to get both of them? If you can, if you can find a deal.

Both, I mean, if you can find a deal and people are willing to take kind of reduced roles, sure. But you know at the end of the day, at the end of the season, when you get into October, where they wanted to be Shohei Yamamoto, Glasnow, Snell, those are their four guys. So at some point, you are going to run thin on available innings to starting pitching. And I don't know where, you know, you can't put so many people in the bullpen because you're already going to have pieces there. And this was my kind of concern I had a couple of months ago, particularly with like Walker Bueller, like where Walker Bueller would suddenly right now to my brain sound perfect. but, you know, that's not on the table anymore. So you just need somebody, I keep mentioning it, you need that, that James Paxton type of person,

the Ryan Yarbrose, somebody that's going to fill some big innings in the first half of the season. And I don't know that, you know, Jack Flaherty is going to want to do that, knowing that the second half of the season could be sort of in flux. I mean, if I was a big time, you know, free agent and trying to get a big dollar deal, I would certainly consider that because we just saw the Dodgers do that last year with James Paxon where they dumped them, you know, gave him a better opportunity, we'll say, at the trade deadline. And I think a lot depends, too, on what they want to do, what the role likely is going to be for May and Gonsland. You know what I mean? We keep clamoring to say, hey, let's put Dustin May with all that fire and the, you know, craziness into the bullpen.

And what does that mean for, you know, are they going to be, they're not going to be built up to be starters right away, obviously, with the lack of, you know, throwing and stuff that they. they've done and the injuries and those types of things. But I mean, this is a question that we're going to ask. And we're going to talk to Dave about it when he comes on the show here momentarily. I mean, the whole six-man rotation is in play, you know, and what do you do? You can't replace a Walker Bueller necessarily. But how do they imagine? And it's funny, too, that we talk about these things and they just won a World Series.

You know, it's like we don't, how do you improve on perfection? And that's what it was as far as, you know, Dave is concerned and the World Series champion. in last six of those doctors. Good problem to have. I'm Anna Navarro, and on my new podcast, Bleep with Anna Navarro. I'm talking to the people closest to the biggest issues happening in your community and around the world.

Because I know deep down inside right now, we are all cursing and asking what the bleep is going on. I'm talking to people like Julie K. Brown, who broke the explosive story on Jeffrey Epstein in 2018. These victims have been let down time and time again. for decades and decades and decades by local law enforcement, by federal law enforcement, by administration after administration. The Justice Department through, I think we counted four presidential administrations, failed these victims.

Listen to Bleep with Anna Navarro as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up? I'm Miles Turn. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think on and off the court. Nothing's off limits. We talk trade requests.

What's the vibe of that when it's like your star players like, well, I want to leave? And then actually now I'm going to stay. We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening in the WBA. And yeah, we talk about our responsibility. mistakes too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, no, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. They'll be like,

mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out game recognized game with Stoian Miles on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, it's Alec Baldwin this season on my podcast. Here's the thing I'm speaking with more artists, policymakers, and performers, like composer Mark Shaman. Once you've established that you have the talent, it's about the hang. It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang.

We would sit in kibbits for hours and then eventually get around to the music. That's what I mostly think of when I think of him, the time together laughing. Lawyer at Robbie Kaplan. The great gift of being a lawyer is the ability to actually actually. change things in our society in a way that very few people can. You can really make a difference to causes in the United States if you bring the right case at the right time. Marriage equality.

Yeah, Windsor's the perfect example. And journalist Chris Whipple. Every White House staffer, they work in a bubble called the West Wing, and it's exponentially more so in the Trump White House. Listen to the new season of Here's the Thing on the I-Heart Radio app or wherever you get your podcast. Yeah, we can sit here and argue, and I'll ask you the question as well. I think we can sit here and argue that the team right now is better than the team that just won a World Series. And yes, it's kind of lazy to say it because that team had a billion injuries. And right now, you know, on paper, we assume people are healthy. But I'm curious, do you think that right now following, you know, the trade of Gavin Lux, who that happened while you were out on vacation, hopefully enjoyed your time away? But now there's a little bit of question mark in the infield. starting pitching, which has been a long-held concern of yours, you know, start of last season,

would you say now just throwing the blanket statement out that they are better now than they were, what, just three, four months ago? I definitely like this team going into 2025, more, 2025 more than I like the 20204 team. I think we're more stacked going into 2025 than we were going into 2024. My 2004, to me, the challenge was we didn't have enough starting pitching. And I think I was right. But the thing that I wasn't right about is that they figured out a way every single step of the way to make it work. I think, again, to me, this is Dave's best managerial job of his career, of his tenure.

And I've known him a really, really long time. I mean, the amount of injuries that they had. And I know, nobody cares. You know, everyone's daughters, nobody cares. It's like either you love us or you hate us and that's fine too. but we had a lot of injuries to massively, massively huge pieces, and they found out a way I'm really, I feel very confident if the, you know,

opening day was tomorrow, I feel pretty good about this team, honestly. Yeah, I mean, the addition to Blake Snell, that's to me the biggest game changer there, because you're adding Snell, you assume Glasnow is healthy because that's what the team has told us. That's what Glasnow has told us. Yamamoto, the same.

If he was healthy enough to be, throwing to end the season. He should be ready to go for opening day. Tony Gonsolent is somebody where if they were in dire need, they could have thrown him into, you know, at least the pitching staff for October. Dustin May should have finally had a fully normal, healthy, you know, offseason to kind of get him back, get himself mentally reset, actually take the break from the ramp up. And then there's still the land and knacks of the world in there. Emmett Sheehan returns from injury. there's a lot of pieces if we're just specifically focusing on you know starting pitching here and I still like the back end of the bullpen you still like a lot of those pieces in the mix there

adding hay son Kim to the mix in the middle end field you know um mooki bets is going to be your shortstop so there's a lot to asker hernandez back it's a lot of things to really really really like about this team but if you're being nitpicky if you're trying to find any potential concern or fears. It's just for me surviving, bridging the 162 game gap until October without, you know, severely overworking guys like Yamamoto, Glasnow, to where they could potentially be unavailable to October. So that's where you need. Isn't that always the fear, though? Isn't that always the concern going into a season? Baseball, right? It's a pain. It's like that's just how it goes where you, you know,

yeah, on paper, we look amazing. But like every team, you know, who knows who comes out of spring training hobbling, you know? Like there's so much to have. I mean, spring training is, what, a month away? I mean, it's January 13th. I mean, these guys are reporting in a month. So we are on the precipice of a brand new season here. But like, you're only going on based on the information you have right now.

I mean, if everybody's healthy, barring craziness, I love this team. But, yeah, I mean, a lot, of course, a lot can change. But I think they've done a tremendous job in the off season. They have some huge pieces coming back. and health is always the biggest question mark, right? Health and injury, that's always the biggest question mark. I don't care if you're the Los Angeles Dodgers or you're the whatever, the frigging Colorado Rockies or whoever, you know,

is at the bottom of the totem pole. I mean, whoever you are, like you hope to stay healthy to be able to compete. Yeah, and, you know, there's going to be a lot more competition in the National League West this year. We know all these teams have made some big moves, the Giants adding, Willie Adamas, the diamondbacks. adding Corbin Burns, Padres remaining pretty decent, a team that challenged the Dodgers pretty firmly last year. You know, none of these teams are going to give the Dodgers an easy walk to October or anything like that.

Again, once we get to October, it's just a different ball game, but it's about getting there. That's what it's about. So Flaherty is willing. I actually love the way that the NL West is shaped up in this offseason. I love the competition. I still think obviously the Dodgers are the cream of the cross. But I love the fact that there's some really good competition, arguably one of the toughest divisions in all of baseball. It doesn't really matter what I think.

Doesn't really matter what Clint thinks. What really matters is what the two-time World Series manager, four-time National League pennant winner, Dave thinks about his team going into the 2025 season. We are so thankful that Dave. I take a few minutes out of his day to be with us. Dave, we appreciate you being here. Thank you so much. First of all, happy New Year. I know it's January 13th, but before we get into the baseball stuff,

I just wanted you to say a couple words about, you know, the devastation and what's going on in the beautiful state of California and how we can help. Well, first off, happy New Year to both of you guys. And it started off fine until this devastating tragedy. has happened in Los Angeles and greater Los Angeles. And I think for me and the Dodge organization, I think you guys are in the same boat,

it's first and foremost our thoughts and prayers and we've all lost or had friends of ours that were close to us that either lost homes or evacuated. And I don't know how we're going to recover and get past this, but we're sort of just waiting to kind of figure out where we go and how we can most impact the city of Los Angeles and the families. I know Freddie, Chris Taylor have already initiated some donations, which is fantastic. There's a lot more to become from the Dodgers, the entire organization as a whole,

and players and staff collectively. But as we look at these images, guys, it is just devastating in you know, it's about trying to recover and not trying to place blame and figure out a solution. But clearly I'm very emotional and carefully choosing my words because it's such a tragedy right now that's going on and still going on. Yeah, I was about to say that. Well, one, Dave, again, thanks for joining us. And two, this is still, you know, the door is not closed on what's going on out here in Southern California. you know, thank God for our great first responders, the amazing things they're able to do.

Other corporations and places stepping up to help support first responders as best they can. And again, like somebody, you mentioned, the Freeman's doing what they're doing, Chris Taylor and his foundation of what they're doing. Could you speak to just kind of the players, like what your players, these dudes who mean so much to you as a person? How heartwarming is it to see them step up in such a big way? It's huge. It's very important. It's necessary. I think the thing about our guys, and I think we will see this throughout baseball and other

industries that people just want to help out, want to step up. And we have all been blessed in a lot of different way. and it's all of our times to step up in any way we can, right? Whether it's financially, it's our time, any type of resources. But for me, Clint, I've talked to numerous guys that have reached out and said, hey, Doc, what can I do? What can our foundation do? And I think it's more right now just kind of wait for some direction from the Dodgers,

and we're trying to figure out, again, what's the best way and the biggest way, the biggest reach we can have as an organization to make the biggest impact. No doubt about it. The Dodgers is always good about those types of things. Dave, let's talk ball a little bit. Man, what an off season that Andrew Friedman, this front office and you guys have put together. Every other day, it seems like the Dodgers are getting a big piece of this already amazing puzzle.

I haven't had a chance to talk to you first about the Teosker signing, which I was screaming off the rooftops. Let's get Teosker back in Dodger Blue. We know that he wanted to be there. I know that you wanted him back. What does it mean to have him there at least another three years? It was a big part of the offseason, trying to line up with Teo and his representation.

You know, you and I talk a lot offline about having players that really want to be there and that are committed in every way to be a Dodger. And Teo is at the top of that list. So to get him back was huge. And, you know, it's always, and I've kind of alluded to this kind of term. shuffling the deck but I think that this is the first year I think and rightfully so that that deck is gonna be a lot of the same as it has as it was in the year prior so Teo is a linchpin to what we're doing I feel he's a

carrier he's a middle-of-the-bat guy who's neutral the fans everywhere I went guys this offseason it was like please bring Teo back and You realize how much, how endeared he was to Dodger Nation. And obviously that parade when we get into the stadium and the fans cheering and chanting his name was pretty emotional for him and his family. So to get him back, like I said, there's been a lot of things that have kind of happened, but getting him back was a top priority. Listen, that parade was something special for everybody. it took a lot to get there. I will approach this carefully.

I'll ask you this, Dave, how stupid is baseball where you could make the same move three times and there will be three different outcomes where maybe, let's just throw a name out there. You plug in Alex Fescia to face somebody in a key game against the Padres. And then there's another one where just the baseball, you know, it finds some grass and other times it finds a glove. How frustrating is it and like just the joy of, you know, vindicating yourself, vindicating the team, vindicating 2020, all that, getting to this point where you're at now where you're like, F yeah, I am a two-time World Series champion manager and it feels pretty dang good. Yeah, you know, it's funny. You know, Vescia closed.

You use that example, Clint. Alex closed a game out in the CS against the Mets where he got the flyout right there. And it's one of those things that, yeah, he doesn't get the fly out. It's a terrible decision. I think for me, I've kind of really come at peace with the fact that it is a game of results. I do feel that fans chiming in, being passionate, voicing their likes, their dislikes, their vitroles at times, voices. It's still good for the game because people care. but I do believe though that you are right.

Yes, at times, you know, people could say I use my gut more than I did before, but you look back in my nine years. If one thing went a different way, it would have been a genius decision and some of them went well, some of them did it. And that's baseball. But like you said, I can say, F yeah, I am a two-time managing world champion. You're right. Love it.

Yes, you can. And have been to the World Series four different times. What's up? I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has never been done before. Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think, on and off the court. Nothing's off limits.

We talk trade requests. What's the vibe of that when it's like your star player is like, well, I want to leave? And then actually now I'm going to stay. We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's like definitely happening in the WBA. And yeah, we talk about our mistakes, too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man.

You can't be rolling around the city like this tonight before games, no, you know, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. And we're like, Mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out Game Recognized game with Stuy and Miles on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Anna Navarro and on my new podcast, Bleep with Anna Navarro. I'm talking to the people closest to the biggest issues happening in your community and around the world. Because I know deep down inside right now, we are all cursing and asking what the bleep is going on.

I'm talking to people like Julie K. Brown, who broke the explosive story on Jeffrey Epstein in 2018. These victims have been let down time and time again. for decades and decades and decades by local law enforcement, by federal law enforcement, by administration after administration. The Justice Department through, I think we counted four presidential administrations, failed these victims. Listen to Bleep with Anna Navarro as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hi, it's Alec Baldwin. this season on my podcast, here's the thing I'm speaking with more artists, policymakers, and performers like composer Mark Schaman. Once you've established that you have the talent, it's about the hang.

It's the pleasure of hanging out with the people that you're with. You know, Rob and I was always a great hang. We would sit in kibbits for hours and then eventually get around to the music. That's what I mostly think of when I think of him, the time together laughing. Lawyer Robbie Kaplan.

The great gift of being a lawyer is the ability to actually change things in our society in a way that very few people can. You can really make a difference to causes in the United States if you bring the right case at the right time. Marriage equality. Yeah, Windsor's the perfect example. And journalist Chris Whipple.

Every White House staffer, they work in a bubble called the West Wing, and it's exponentially more so in the Trump White House. Listen to the new season of Here's the Thing on the I Heart Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. You know, Dave, in theory, a six-man rotation is one thing. In practice, a six-man rotation is something entirely different.

The Dodgers have Blake Snell. The Dodgers are going to have Otani. The Dodgers have Glasnow. The Dodgers have Yamamoto. Perhaps we get Roki Sasaki if you want to break any sort of news here. But do you think that that is a legitimate thing that the Dodgers will be doing this year is a six-man rotation? And moreover, do you see May and Gonsolki?

in a starting spot or you see them more in a bullpen spot until they get really, really built up again? You know, I think it's interesting. I think that in, I think if you just look at the six-man rotation, it makes a ton of sense. Certainly with our depth and our pitching staff and depth with that. But then you have to bake in off days and sometimes in a spans of, 10 games, 10 days, there might be two off days. So that then is one extra day to then now two or three extra days

for a particular pitcher. I do think that with who we have, and you mentioned, Shohei, who's gonna need to go on an extra Yoshinobu. I do feel that Tyler, with what he's gone through, it wouldn't be, it would be beneficial. Blake Snow is a guy that wants to pitch every fifth day, which he's done and had success.

but some days built in wouldn't be a bad thing i think to be on to you along i think the crux what's going to be really telling is how gonsolin dustin may um uh come back guys like that to kind of make our decision harder because now if they're knocking at the door and performing those guys are going to deserve innings so if we can get those guys in the fold and give other guys an extra rest I think that would be a benefit, but I think time will tell. You do add Blake Snell to the mix, and I don't think, if I remember correctly, you weren't at that presser, just adding somebody the ilk, a two-time Sy Young Award winner to the fold there for the Dodgers, a team that just won a World Series.

Again, two-time World Series champion manager here. What does that bring to the mix for you, for the starting rotation, some of the younger guys coming into the picture, adding somebody like Blake Snow? I think it adds a guy that's, you know, won the ultimate pitching award, the Cy Young. He pitches in, he's pitching the biggest ball games and is performed. From everything I've heard, the work ethic is top notch. So I think that guys can, you know, certainly follow, certainly what Clayton, the culture he's created with our pitching staff. And then obviously with Blake, what he's going to bring, the edginess to the staff, the makeup.

I think, Clint, the thing that I really love is not only the talent, but it's a guy that hasn't won a championship. So it's hard to quantify hunger, and this guy wants it really bad. That's why he chose to sign with the Dodgers. And bringing in a guy like Blake and Michael Conforto, I just really like guys that haven't ultimately hoisted that championship. trophy because they're going to really push, continue to push the guys that already have done it, even more. I think it's great, too, that you guys were able to sign Kim into the infield. But with that addition, there's a subtraction of Gavin Luck.

So, you know, best of luck to Gavin, of course, with Cincinnati. But how do you see this infield playing out, Dave? Because we knew that if, you know, obviously, if Tommy Edmund was back and Bill Rojas is back, you have CT, maybe Kiki. I don't know if he's going to resell. sign back. You have Muncie. You have Freddie Freeman. You have Moogie back in that infield, too. If you had pencil in a lineup, everybody that you have right now, that's healthy, how do you see that playing out? It's a great question. I'm very actually grateful that I don't have to answer

that question right now, but I will try. I will try. Because as we've seen, things do happen over the course of a season. But Mookie right now, Alana, is at shortstop. I, I, I think, I think with Tommy, you know, we can look at probably as it looks right now with Confordo in left, Teo in right. Obviously, we've got the corners in the infield taken care of. You would see Tommy in center field. And then, you know, with Kim mixed in there at second base. And honestly, we saw them in the series earlier when we went to South Korea last year.

seen a whole lot. Looking forward to get to know him more, but in centerfield, James Outman and Pahas are still really alive. And Tommy obviously has the ability to play second base too. So there's still some moving parts that we have time to kind of figure out. But I do feel that Mookie in the infield is something that I feel really good about. Yeah, you got yourself a heck of a ball club lining up there. Also, heck of some ball clubs in the National League West, NL best, as I like to call it. Giants made some moves, adding Willie Adomis, you got the Diamondbacks,

adding Corbyn Burns to that already pretty dang good starting rotation. Dodgers adding, of course, Blake Snell, amongst other pieces. I know it's hard to sit here in January and worry about the competition around the team, but how good is this NL West? And, you know, Dino Ebel was on with us shortly

after the World Series and talked about how important having these teams challenge the Dodgers late into the season, how important that was for you guys in October. So how good is it for you to see the NLS continue to get better and, you know, just general thoughts about the competition coming for this upcoming season? Dave, you nailed it, Clint.

I do think it is the NL best. I like that one. I got to use that one more. I think with, obviously, with Buster taking over the reins, you can start to see more of kind of, They're trying to get back to who they were when they won those three championships. And Willie is a guy that a lot of people coveted. They're going to continue to get better and be a thorn in our side, I'm sure. But the Diamondback's certainly getting Burns to go along with Galen.

And Merrill Kelly makes them very, very formidable and PFAT over there. And with their position player group, very athletic, they're only going to get better. and obviously with us and the Padres and with what we did with those guys in the DS last year and how talented they are. I do think that it is the best division in baseball top to bottom. I'm just happy we don't have to play each team 18 times and sort of beat each other up like we did in the past.

But I do think to Dino's point about playing to the end of the season through the end of the season prepared us for playoff baseball. right after the regular season. So I don't know if that's the kind of the script to play till game 162, but it was certainly a benefit this year. Yeah. Absolutely.

Dave, I always appreciate you taking the time. And I mean this from the bottom of my heart. This year was the best managerial job you have ever done in the tenure of being in the game. So thank you for taking the time to be with us. Appreciate you. have a great rest of your off season. It doesn't, you don't have much longer. You guys are going to Glendale in four weeks.

So enjoy the rest of the time and we will see you soon. I will, Lana and Clint, and I love what you guys do. And at one point, I think it would be fun to dissect some games. And I'll give you guys the behind the curtain look at some of the postseason decisions that I made. I think that'd be good for your listeners as well. We'll figure out the timing. I'll put it in your guys as court to figure some time.

timing up, but we'll make that happen too. But thanks guys for all your support. All right. I appreciate you, Dave. Maybe we'll do a show from Camelback. I'm in. We'll see. I'm very in. And anyway, Dave, the last time, hold on, quickly, the last time you were here on with us, I said go win us another one. You did it. So I'm going to tell you again, go win us another one. Done. It's happening. Thank you. Thank you. We appreciate you. We heard it here. All right. Let's get the last looks. All right. Take care. All right, guys. So we all know. that I'm a big supporter of dogs that need homes, rescue and adoption and those types of things,

but right now there's a big need in the L.A. area, obviously, for wildfire relief for our community. So Goodry's Guardian Foundation was given a very nice donation from Christina Gatewood. She's a big supporter, huge Dodger fan. You can win a signed CD by the one and only Taylor Swift. It's the Tortured Poets Department CD signed by Taylor Swift herself. It is authentic. through PSA Authentications. You can enter to bid at 32 auctions.com slash TSCD, which is Taylor Swift CD. All of the proceeds will go to wildfire relief to organizations in the Los Angeles area that need our help with displaced pets and those types of things. So go to 32 auctions.com slash TSCD.

and Clint, I wanted to let you know the Los Angeles Dodgers have just put out a press release so I'm going to read it so I don't get anything incorrect. You can see it there on your screen. But basically, I'm going to paraphrase here. As the people of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities begin the long recovery from the devastating fires,

12 professional sports organizations. So you can see all of the organizations there. The Angel City, obviously the Angels, Chargers, Clippers, Dodgers, Galaxy Kings, L-AFC, Lakers, Rams, and Sparks have pledged a combined donation of more than $8 million to support victims in need as well as those fighting the fires. You can also see the organizations that are going to be benefited from this generosity, the American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire

Foundation, Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation Wildlife Recovery Fund, Team Rubicon, and various local animal rescue organizations. So thank you very much to the Los Angeles Dodgers and the other 11 professional sports teams in our community for understanding the great need that is there for the citizens of Los Angeles in the greater LA area. Yeah, that's awesome. That's incredible. And this is what, you know, big time corporations do, by the way, people, because I saw

some annoying stuff online. Like, why haven't the Dodgers done anything about this? It takes time to pool the resources, get the right things in place. So you don't just, you know, we live in this world where you're, You need to be first or you need to say something or else. That means you're against what's happening. No, smart people. The people that run the Dodgers who, sorry to blow some people's minds,

they are smart people who run the Dodgers, even when they lose some games and whatever. It takes time to figure out what the hell a bunch of people are going to do to help a community like this. So you don't want to jump the gun and say the wrong things or do the wrong things. So I applaud the Dodgers and all of those organizations for stepping up to the plate. So many people have helped through this tragedy, and it's been incredible. And again, the help, the need for help is far from over. So everybody keep doing what you can to support. And that's what I got to say about it.

Yeah. And you probably all of us listening and watching right now know somebody personally that has lost everything. I personally know five people that their homes have burned to the ground. So there's a great amount of need out there. You know, there's something that anybody can be doing. It doesn't necessarily have to be monetarily. There's a way to help your family. fellow citizens. And this is what is so great about LA, people showing up and showing out coming

together as a community. So good on you for the 12 sports clubs, including the angels, you know, like angels, all of them. They all came together to do something important for the community. For the first time ever, I don't have something bad to say about the angels. You better not. You better not. Shaddening about the angels when it comes to this type of stuff. They're helping to all professional sports teams in LA. All right. Before we say goodbye to our listeners and our viewers. Clint, what do you got coming up on all Dodgers with Clint Basias?

Tonight we will be live 6 p.m. Pacific time talking more about the Dodgers. We got a whole bunch of Roki to talk about. I do want to talk more about that flarity kind of blurb. Just everything, catching up on everything that's going on with the team.

We didn't talk about the arbitration deals last week. So we'll talk about all of that, comments, voicemails will be live. And one last shoutout. I did want to throw out there before we leave. I want to shout out our friends over at Dodger Blue, particularly Scott Geerman, who, you know, has joined us a number of times and his partner, Blake Williams.

They did an incredible thing last week on their channel during their live stream. They ran the whole thing as kind of, you know, all super chats. The proceeds were benefiting, you know, more people in need here in L.A. The community showed out during that. They raised, I don't know, it was a lot of money. It was an insane amount of money. That's awesome. And they had a great time doing it.

It was awesome. So I just want to shout them out for doing a really, really effing cool thing. There's a reason we work with them. They're good people. Yeah. And yeah, just that's about it. So tube in and we'll see what happens in my channel tonight. Yeah, I mean, like I said, there's something that every single person out there can be doing

something for somebody else. And by the way, coming up on Thursday, a brand new live edition of Dodgers territory, myself, Clint Paseas, Eric Steven from True Blue, L.A. S.N. It's going to be joining us on Thursday. Thank you for watching everybody. Thanks to Dave Roberts for coming on the show. We appreciate you.

Bring a friend, smash and subscribe. We appreciate you guys listening. And we will see you on Thursday. Go Dodgers. Bye. Peace to the planet. Shalameen to God here. And listen,

We are back. The Black Effect podcast festival is back in Atlanta on April 25th at Pullman Yards. And the full lineup is nuts. We got the Grits and Age podcast, Deante Kyle and Big Ice Cup cat. We got Club 520 with Jeff Teague and the gang. Yeah, yeah.

Call me white girl. Mona will be there. Keep it positive, sweetie with Crystal Renee. We got reality with the king with Carlos King. And yes, drink champ will be in the building. Plus, you know we're going to have a lot of guests. So you need to join us. And we got the Black Effect Marketplace, the picture podcast,

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Arranged Marriage is basically a reality show and you're auditioning for your soulmate. And who's judging? Only your entire family? I sacrificed myself to this ancient tradition hoping to find love the right way. And instead, I found chaos, comedy and a lot of cringe. Listen to Boys and Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

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