High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - High Hopes Chapter 1: James Seltzer's Perfect Bleeping Offseason

Episode Date: November 22, 2022

Don't have time to listen to the entire High Hopes pod? Then check out this clip where James Seltzer details his blueprint for a perfect Phillies offseason heading into 2023. Presented by Miller Lite. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All right. So let's get to the less realistic of the two Mermin golf seasons. Are you ready, buddy? Let's call it the bleep it perfect off season. And I think you can pretty much guess where that's going to start. Sign Trey Turner. Just sign him. Bryce Harper is desperate that he called him his favorite player in the sport on the TV broadcast. Bryce Harper didn't do that by mistake. Look, but Trey Turner changes the complexion of the team. He's a perfect fit for what they need.

Obviously steps right into being a leadoff hitter for this team. And which, you know, enough already with the debates about Trevor and this, that, I love, you know, I think sure it was a better leadoff hitter than others do, but obviously he's not a perfect leadoff hitter. I love it. I think Schroeder was a better leadoff hitter than others do, but obviously he's not a perfect leadoff hitter. Go sign Trey Turner. I think he's not someone who is going to get a Bryce Harper-type contract.

He's three years older than Harper was when he hit the market. He's not the type of player Harper was. I think you could do, I want to say six for 220, but that's probably shooting a little low. Six for 240, I think that's the kind of deal that could happen. What's that, 30-70 or 30-80 year? I don't think Turner gets too much more than that. I think the six years is fair. Maybe you have to go a seventh.

Maybe you can do a team option for a seventh or something like that or some sort of option. But I'm signing Trey Turner, and I'm giving him a lot of money, and that's the first move I'm making this offseason, Jack. So I... We'll see. My only take on Trey Turner at this point is that I'm not batting

him leadoff. I'm batting him in the second. Okay. And you're leaving Schwarber Turner. That'll drive the city crazy. Honestly, it'd be worth it just with the takes. Thank you. Oh my god, dude. Oh, I can't wait. Honestly, beware the jizz of the day. Thank you. Can you imagine? Oh, my God, dude. Oh, my God.

But seriously, dude. Meltdown. Schwarber. If you go Schwarber, Turner, Harper. Yeah, let's go. I mean, versus what? Versus what? Turner, Harper, JT.

Sure. Sounds good. Or Turner. Sure. Oh, I don't know. Put the NL home run leader in the cleanup hole. That's a really crazy thought when you think about baseball and how it's played. Boring.

Boring. I want that guy back. You know, sometimes boring is right. Sometimes 150 years or 140 years of baseball. That thing kind of makes a little sense. Sometimes, you know, the analytics have been around for a while for a reason. We're putting that lead off. Yeah.

All right. So I'm signing Trey Turner. I think that's a fair, a fair number somewhere in the 36 to 38 year a year range. I think that's probably, you know, where I'll come down and I'm willing to pay it. Obviously, as we talk about back out options, I will say if I'm going for another shortstop, if, you know, where I'll come down and I'm willing to pay it. Obviously, as we talk about back out options, I will say if I'm going for another shortstop, if, you know, if John's not willing to spend quite as much as I want him to, I would choose Correa over Bogarts just to, I know we kind of went back and forth on that and the other pods.

And I like Bogarts. He's probably a more polished player, but I just think Correa with two years age-wise and the defensive you know upside that he has comparatively like way better well um or like at least we think he'll age better if nothing else well yeah and i think i think eventually like he transitions the third like seamlessly yeah like machado type of thing where he could be a great great third baseman so um but i'm signing trey turner all right so jack say goodbye to those draft picks and now again this is this is where i'm i'm making up for it by by making some trades and getting some cheap guys in other spots where i would normally spend money but i'm signing carlos for don't too i'm just freaking do i so here's the

thing and i'll take you inside the mind of me as it is perfect off season, which is obviously not nearly as, as, as intense or strategic or I'm serious about it as Jack is, but I kept doing it and I have all these trades. I had to trade for a pitcher, a legit ACE guy. And I don't want to say his name because I know Jack has a trade for a

pitcher and his, and I actually think I know who it is and I'm going to write it down before we do it. Cause I want to guess I got to find a piece it is, and I'm going to write it down before we do it, because I want to guess. I've got to find his favorite, but I'm going to do that. I meant to tell him. But I was like, all right, I could do that, and he's cheaper now, and you'll have to pay him later,

but we can save some money here. And I just kept coming back to, like, no, I don't want that. Like, this is my perfect offseason, and they can afford to do it like it is not the craziest thing ever if you give rodone i put it as uh i think i put his hold on let me put my notes up five or 165 five or 165 33 a year so you're that's fair don't you think you think you could that's it 30 years i think he's getting more no it's a lot okay good even cheaper um i'm going and i'm going into the thing, and I'm –

Hold on. I'm hearing something in my ear. Is that – Oh, there it is. So I have my baseball reference page open. A guy I'm going to trade for it. Oh, you're looking up baseball reference? No, from before.

From before. From before, yeah. Were you looking at the A war, the B war, or the F war? You know there's A war now? No. I don't even want to get there. I can't even go there. All Yeah. Were you looking at the a war, the B war, the F four, you know, there's a war now. No, I don't even want to get there. I can't even go there. All right.

So, you know, it's all right. Cheaper than give me five years, one 40, five years, one 30, whatever.

Like I'm saving even more money than, than I thought I'm just doing it. And look, I think there are guys you can trade for and we'll see if Jack and I had the same idea of the one that he's going to trade for. But to my point, I made the top. I I'm just if I'm John Middleton, I'm saying this is my offseason. This is my offseason. And we have a chance to win the World Series. We came within two wins of winning the World Series in a year where we weren't even really expecting to.

And it's all here. It's all back. Like, yes, the Harper thing, you know, we're going to have to wait a little bit in the season, but he's going to be back this year. He's going to play for this team this year and he's going to make a difference when it matters most. You just got to get there, like go out and buff this team up until you get there. And, and, and we're the best guy on the market by far, as far as starters go, other than, you know, how you feel about the Grom and, you know, obviously theGrom is the most talented guy in the market, but I'm personally not going anywhere near that as we've talked about. A 34-year-old, how many games has he pitched the last few years?

I just can't do that. I think Redon's really good, and I think he's going to age pretty well. He hasn't, as we've talked about, doesn't have the same sort of miles on his arm that other 30-year-old pitchers have. I think it's a no brainer. I think as we talked about kind of going in the off season, I think both of our biggest need was a legit starting pitcher. And I think he just fits the bill so perfectly. And again, it's,

it's just money. It's just money, John, that it's just money. Well, no, believe it or not. It's for draft picks. It's not, it's not just money. Well, no. Believe it or not, it's for draft picks. It's not just money. I love how you use that as an example. If you want to sign Turner or Dowe at the beginning, I was like, get ready, pal. No, I know. Well, and here's the case for it and why, like, listen,

it would kill me in the moment. But at the same time, like, you're pretty much holding on to all the top, your top guys at that point anyway. So, like, rather than spending the prospect capital it would take you're just say you're saving those guys and giving up the chance to draft four other guys or trading them in other trades right i know i'll get there and they've pretty much only like love brian barber love what he's doing um but pretty much the thing that they've corrected the most is just like nailing the first round pick. You know, everything else has just been fine, you know?

So, so like, sure. You give up second, third, fifth, sixth. But you keep that obviously keeping the first round draft picks all that matters because that's where we, that's where we go to work. That's exactly right. All right. So right now I've, I'm feeling pretty good. I got, I got Turner and rodone about my off season

i feel you should feel pretty good about that i think i think they saw some season tickets if that happens yeah all right but now i i did try and rein it in and not say i don't want everybody like i really do understand that if they are going to do this plan which again i would not i would not bank on them signing both turner and rodone but i definitely don't think it's, it's out of the question. Like it's, there's definitely not a non-zero chance it happens. I do think it is something that could happen. I'm not saying I think it will, but I think it is at least something that's on the table, but if it did happen, the rest of the off season would have to look something like I'm being realistic about the rest here and I'm not trying to, you know,

go overboard. So look, um, thanks buddy. All right. So I'm signing one more starting pitcher, but I'm going to wait out the market. Uh, you know, it's one of those where there's a lot of guys. I liked certain levels. I don't think I'm getting stripling or Taiwan Walker cheap enough, um, or a one-year deal, but maybe like, those are my top two guys in terms of if I can get, and I might even go two years on those guys. If it's, if it's not a crazy number and spend a little extra, like I said. But I want those to be the top guys on the market. If not, I'm waiting out whether a Lyles, a Quintana, someone like that kind of shakes free for a one-year deal

that I don't feel too bad about. But I need to add another pitcher, especially with, you know, we've talked about wanting to get Wheeler, wanting to get Noel, those guys kind of extra rest as the season goes on. And then I'm taking another shot. Look, I think Falter is going to get some starts this year for me. You're going to have guys. And look, I would even be willing to potentially bring Syndergaard back on the right type of

deal, you know, especially another year removed from the surgery. Who knows if he gets a little more velocity back? Like, I don't hate it. The point is I'm looking at those type of guys and getting at least one or two of those to kind of buff that up. But if I have Rodone, Wheeler and Nola, I should say Wheeler, Rodone and Nola at the top of the rotation and Rangers, my four, I mean, I feel, I feel so good about that. And then you're waiting for painter to come at the end of the season. So it's really just kind of getting through, but I'm signing one of those guys along with falter to

help me get through. I think you're going to need those starts as the season goes on. So then the question is, and look, I know that I'm leaving myself a little open on the lineup side of things. Like maybe you can find a cheap guy who can give you, give you a bats, especially while Harper's out, but I'm going to bank on Cassiano's being better on Turner coming in and being awesome. And then that lineup, just being able to get through even with the May tons and whoever coming up.

So, so those guys playing, you know, somewhat meaningful innings throughout the early part of the season as Harper gets back and all that. I'm good with that. I'm spending the rest of my assets on pitching here. So it's, it's Turner and then, and then the staff and the rotation, you know, the bullpen. So I've, I've got my starters taken care of. So I get to get the bullpen and this is where I'm trying to save money. I have to sign one reliever, I feel like, and then I'm trading for two. And then I feel like my bullpen's set. I have, you know, Sir Anthony Alvarado, Brogdon, Belotti. I think those guys are all there and you feel good about them.

So then I'm going to sign one guy. I'm going to sign my lefty. My lefty that I'm getting, I'm getting off the market. And I'm trading for two righties. Look, if I can get Taylor Rod Rogers cheap, I would sign him. I don't, he's coming off a really bad year, but he's a really good pitcher and he's got a lot of big outs and he's closed before. I don't, I don't think he'll be cheap enough for me, but if I can get him, I will like Taylor Rogers, I think is a guy I would bet on. He's only 31. He's been really good and just kind of had a weird year

after getting traded to Milwaukee and struggled a little early on. So I'm trying to get Taylor Rogers if that doesn't work out. And again, my perfect offseason, I get Taylor Rogers. So that's my official guy. But if not, how about a Matt Moore one-year contract, Jack? What do you think about bringing Matt? Matt Moore was great as a lefty reliever in Texas. He was really good.

And for one year, 5 mil, 4 mil, something like that, 6 mil maybe. Maybe. I don't think it's going to be that much. Honestly, I think it'll be like 4 or 5 mil. That's fine. I think that's fine. I think that's the kind of guy you bring in and take a shot on. And he threw a no-hitter in one of his last starts.

There you go. Any chance you can bring back a guy that wants to throw a no-hitter for the Phillies, you've got to do it. They never did it with Cole, which I thought was disrespectful. He's signing Cole this offseason, too. It seems like he wants at least one more shot at it. Yeah, right? One more shot. One more go-around.

Come on. He said it on our show. Hold on. Real question. Who would you rather sign? Darren Sproles as a punt returner for the playoff run for the Eagles or Cole Hamels just for the sake of it? Sproles, without a doubt.

Wow. He's not a question. Don't you think? I mean, I like Cole and stuff, but come on, man. He hasn't pitched in a year and a half or whatever. I mean, I think we're good. All right. Plus, the Eagles need a punt returner way more than the phillies need a a

you know innings eater seventh starter whatever right yeah daily falter is better than cole hamels right now i'll say it i'm sorry cole something bold take bold yeah all right so that's my lefty reliever i will say i made two trades here because i thought i this is where i cut myself off and i said i can't spend any money at this point i'm'm probably, I might not be in the second luxury tax, but I'm, I'm approaching and I'm around there. I'm sure you are. Yeah. I'm probably close to it. I'm probably close to it. Depends how much I pay for the starters, but I'm not like, I'm not, it's not insane, insane.

So that's why I made these two trades instead of you're like, look, set the spin rates out there. There are guys who I, you know, would have liked to put in a perfect off season. Just please for the sake of me, don't put Adam Modavino in this. I'm not. I'm not. I'm making two trades. I'm not signing any more guys. It's two trades, but I'm giving up some legit capital

in these trades. Should I go for the smaller one or the bigger one? I'll go for the smaller one first. I think this would get it done i'm trading johan rojas to the indians or the guardians guardians please for for corinna corinna corinna chak i don't know how does james corinna chak like he's kind of like fifth or sixth on their depth chart now he's nasty he's awesome like the dude's really good um or one of their guys like step

on if they would train me him or step on or whatever i would trade for him like i'm i'm He's awesome. Like the dude's really good. Or one of their guys, like Stepon, if they would train me him or Stepon or whatever, I would trade for him. Like I'm targeting a team like the Indians that have a lot of good young bullpen arms guys that are under a million dollars this year. And I'm trading for one of those guys. Yohan Ross is blocked here.

You know, what's the long term? Maybe I can get two relievers off the Indians for him or something like that. But I think that's the type of team that would be willing to take a young outfielder with a lot of promise for a bullpen piece that they think they could could easily replace.

Is it too much? Am I giving it? Is it too much or too little to get back for Rose? I think you're underselling Karen Jack a little bit. That's why he's nasty. Oh, you're saying I'm underselling him. You're saying he's better than I'm saying. So you're saying he would cost more than Rojas.

But they have so many guys. They have so many guys. They're not that close to free agency. And I need to know if he's on spider attack or not. If he's using spider attack, I'd be more in on the trade. If he's not using spider attack, like no shot. You guys had the triple A when he was on the's why that's why i thought but then he came back and pitched all right after so like that's why i thought because he figured out a way to

fine fine whatever that works it would cost it would cost like johan plus plus like okay so johan plus all right johan plus like yeah like what? How much do you think it's like a lot, a lot like McGee, like McGarry. Oh, see, I was going to trade McGarry and my other trade. Give me the,

give me the other trade. I was going to trade McGarry plus for Felix Bautista. Oh, that's interesting. He's 28. So he's a little older. The Orioles are certainly always looking to trade a, a reliever for a,

for a potential starter. And, you know, he's six years or five years of team control left. He's 28, you know. I know, but don't you think that window's like now, though? Like, I think the Orioles could sign Correa this offseason. You think the Orioles are going for it? Yeah, of course they're going for it. Hold on, they were like in the wild card run last year.

I know they were, but they traded guys at the deadline. Even they traded their closer when they were in it at the deadline. Hold on. They traded Mancini and whatever. They traded Jorge Lopez. Yeah, I mean, Bautista was- Yeah, but still, Jorge Lopez was their closer. He was still pitching really well for them.

And that kind of killed them. But at the same time, I think they're winners now. I'd be surprised if they moved from there. I don't think they're in the Guardians or Rays. Just trade people just because whatever. But I mean, listen. I think the Guardians are even better last year. I would trade this podcast for uh for bautista i

gotta be honest with you oh i was thinking mick but i was like is that too much for bautista probably yeah probably yeah so i'm trading and look maybe it's not those specific guys but i'm willing to give up rojas and griff to get two controllable relievers who i think are going to be good for the next three four years for this team at a fair price to even out the money I spent in other places. And there it is. That's my off season. How'd I do?

I took it pretty seriously. You did. The trade values are a tad off. They were off. I know. That's why I never do trades in these. All right. So I need to give up a lot more for each of those guys is what you're

implying. Yes. Yes. Yes. Guess what, Jack? Give it up. You're getting trade Turner. Trade them all.

Trade whoever. Who cares? Go with the World Series. There you go. There you go.