High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - Is The Phillies Offseason a C or an F-?

Episode Date: January 28, 2026

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz come to terms with the Phillies' lackluster offseason and try to find the optimism for the 2026 team by lowering expectations. 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

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What's good, y'all? It's Vaughn Miller, Super Bowl MVP, Sagmaster, and now your host of Free Range. This is where NFL meets Real Talk. Every week, I'm bringing you inside the game from locker room stories to league-wide headlines. You want football IQ, locker room insight, and real conversations with the people shaping the league. Welcome to Free Range with Vaughn Miller, where nothing is off limits and every down counts. New episodes every Wednesday. Listen and follow Free Range with me, Vaughan Miller, wherever you get your podcast.

This is the High Hope's podcast. Hi hope. On the Odyssey app and Sports Radio 94 WIP. The crowd is singing high, yelling through a bro. I feel little. this long. Yo, ho,

it is another edition of the house podcast, sponsored by Miller Light, official partner of Philadelphia Phillies, tastes like Miller Time, Philadelphia, celebrate responsibly. Jack, here's where I'd like to start. How you doing, by the way?

Nice to see you, even though you didn't, you know, brave the weather to come in. You're doing it from home, but that's fine. Nothing to do with the weather. More about the time. No, I know.

You're coming in later today. I know. Let's start with your tweet. We don't usually start with a tweet of yours, but I have to. You tweeted and I'm paraphrasing something in the effect of no more sulking. We're back. I would like to know, did you confer with your co-host before you tweeted that out?

Because I was planning on sulking this whole show. How you doing, pal? No, I didn't. I made an official, I made an official show statement that I did. You did not agree with at all. Yes, right. No, I'm just like, I'm over it. I'm over.

I'm sick of me. I'm back in. I can't wait. We're under two weeks from pitching and catchers. We got the truck day announcement yesterday with all the hot dogs and all that. Come on, man. Honestly, you know what it is, James? I think because it's eight.

You think what? I think because it's eight degrees out. I really miss baseball. And I think that has a majority of the to do with it. But I also, I genuinely, I am genuinely excited about hopefully, watching Justin Crawford turn into an everyday player for this team. We're going to see Andrew Painter start every fifth day for this team. The world baseball classics right around the quarter.

Aiden Miller's top 10 prospect and all of baseball. So I think the biggest thing that has happened with me is after the Bichette thing, you know, I think the Bichette thing was our chance to win the World Series. I still don't really feel World Series. So what you're seeing is a lowering. of the expectations to where I can still enjoy the baseball. I see what you're doing. Honestly, I'm jealous.

I'm very jealous of you because... Thank you. I mean, that is a very healthy way to go about this. I am despondent about the Phillies every day. Still? I'm giving an F grade on WIP and the camera's like, how can you possibly give them F?

Like, they get worse. This is the biggest off season of this run and they got worse. No, it's a C. It's at least a C. It's at least a C. It's not an F minus. It's not a lot. an F minus. And I, the, I see, a C. It's a strong C. It's a strong C. I'm not going to go C plus, but it's a strong C. This is where we're at. This is the title of the podcast. Is the Phillies off season a C or an F minus? Which is it closer to?

It sounds like a winner. Tucker, write it down. Tucker, write it down. He did. I got the thumbs up from Tucker. Good. So, I mean, just the, The belly aching about Harrison Bader. Who I love. I love Harrison Bader. But my goodness, you would have thought they let Mike Trout walk out with the conversation. How could they possibly, a guy who's 650 OPS for the last four years? How could they, well, luckily, they signed someone who had a 650 OPS last two years. So, you know, they got that going for him.

But here's the difference. I'm glad you brought that up. at one point he did not have a 650 oh three years ago he was he was great yeah so the reality of the beta thing is had he accepted had he been willing to accept that deal on December 15th or whatever when they'd probably be a philly it'd be a philly it'd be a philly but they had to make different plans uh they probably i still would have given the two-year deal i would be fine giving the year deal easily happily done it the thing that i've really talked myself into with with that one with the Bayter thing is they do have to figure out if Jeff's Crawford can play

a center field or not because it is the best outcome for them. Now personally, long term. Yes. Like personally, I think he's a left fielder, but he is a center fielder type profile. Sure. Bat wise. He's fast enough athletic and all that stuff. Yes. And bat wise for sure. He is not a left field or bat wise. No, although it is crazy. Like the left field position has just changed. so much from when me and you grew up where it's like Burles and left. I mean, according to the shredder

on MLB network, Jared Rand's the number one left fielder in baseball and Brandon Marsh is 10. Yeah, it's wild. So the position has just changed to where it used to be you need a big lumbering, power hitting, you know, right-hander. And now it's kind of not that.

Actually, the whole outfield's kind of that way. Yeah, it has. You're right. Where maybe right field still has the big power guy, but really outfield defense and speed and put the, a lot of the power guys are in the infield now. So that's kind of just been a change in baseball. So maybe Crawford, that's the next hand point. But if he can, if he can play center field, it does help them out a ton. And in him playing center field at 22 years old, you give him the next two years. If Bader comes back, he's blocking that position for two years and you won't know for a couple years whether or not that Crawford could

do it, at least by not resigning here. Harrison Bader, you can figure out and know for sure. By the way, you can trade for Harrison Bader at the deadline. When the Giants are out of it? If he cannot play. You don't think your guy Vitello is going to have him winning games? Tony V? I'm excited for Tony V.

I know. It's why I said it. Yeah. He's going to be, it's the closest comp to, I mean, obviously, but the closest comp to Chip Kelly that we'll see. Now, he's not revolutionizing the sport like Chip theoretically was, but from the standpoint of hot shot college coach coming into the, the league without really there being a precedent for it.

It's it I mean like pat murphy was a college coach but like so was pete carroll and whatnot like chip kelly was the never a big leagher kind of thing uh so yeah i can't wait for 20 but they they do have to figure out of crawford complacent or not it's an experiment we'll see but it is really important and i'm sure that they were you know they've almost resigned themselves to that when they i'm sure were presented with the possibility of matching the harrison Bader contract. Yeah, look, I, I get it. And I, it is, I'm going to make you feel so good by the end of this podcast. I'm letting you know, I, I'm going to make you, I'm going to turn your, your whole day around about it. Look, I, I will say, I mean, adjusting your, your expectations is

the key to all this, but I don't want to adjust my expectations. Like, this, this whole run is like, let's win a world series. And that's like, guess what, guys, we're not winning the world series. We have very expensive players in their mid-30s and heading into their late 30s, but we are not winning the World Series right now. So let's focus on other things. Like, that's what you're telling me. Like I know. Well, I got another one for you. I can't get, I got another one for you. How about this for a take? Two-on-five, five, nine two, nine to four-94. I would argue, Justin Crawford, Andrew Painter, Aiden Miller, Gagewood, Dante Norrie, Matt Fisher, Arun Escobar, Francisco Runtaria.

More important than Harper-Schwerber Turner? I don't think there's any question. No doubt. Me at least, yes. No doubt. I'm a 231 fills. Let's go.

I mean, I think we're back to this. All that. But even the 2028 fills. Like, 2026 will say, 2027, I don't know what the sport's going to look like. But you get eight in up this year. Crawford. up, painters up, maybe Gage Wood, and then 35 and 35-year-old Bryson Trey? Come on, man.

They carried through a title. It doesn't feel like we're building this the right way, Jack. Well, it is a, it is, it's either going to go one of two ways, really, by the way that they're building it. Either they come up and the kids are like the next Rollins-Utley Howard and Hamils, and you're like, holy cow that this is this is sustainable or they're not that good yeah and and it's the 2012 to 22 again or 21 yeah yeah me too they're not that bad no like that but but again they are in a situation where it and we talked about the saying the off season and you know kind of how they were set up and it's it's playing out to the extremes of your looking at a team where they just

re-signed schwarber and jt three and five years and harper and der like you're going to have to your point you just said like you're going to have a lot of 35, 36 year old type guys playing with 22 and 22. Yeah. It's just a weird way to build a team is all. It's weird and it's combustible because of the guys. Yeah, there's a lot of downside with that potential approach. Well, yeah, because obviously prospects take a good amount of time to establish themselves unless.

Now, listen, maybe Aiden, maybe Aiden is just a one of one where, comes up immediately like, well, is it Seeger, was up at 21? Yeah, look, Harper won an MVP at 22. You know, it does happen. It's rare. Harper is. Yeah, Harper's Harper. Exactly.

I, look, it's most likely it's going to take Crawford and Pinker and Miller and these guys a few years to get to where they're, they're ultimately going to be if they're going to be good, you know? And especially, especially, I actually, there's a better chance of Crawford and Miller being, like, hit the ground, and being valuable big league players than Painter. And that's not a knock on Painter. It's just these high, I'm trying to think of the last high school kid that came up

was a top pitching prospect and it didn't take him a couple years to figure the league out. I just think with Painter, there's going to be some rough spots. I mean, if he pitches to a, if he pitches to a four ERA this year, that's a win at the, at the big league level. That is a hundred percent a win. And then he gets another full year of health under his belt, and then you kind of go from there. You're really, it's like age 25, 24, 25 for these guys. That's two years from now. That's when you can really expect them to be ready to carry the weight of the franchise on their shoulders.

So again, a part of that is exciting. Like that is for all I hear about and and people got to make up their minds James they got to make up their minds of do you want to call the prospects up or do you want to build through free agency? Because you have to give these guys opportunities to to fail and you can't do the whole well the Phillies don't call them up to their 30 blah blah blah blah blah and but also be annoyed when they're not spending all the money in the world to go you know give them the best chance to win. the World Series this year. So I agree with that philosophically. You're not wrong. And I do agree that the kids need to play if they're going to come up. But I mean, expectations are set by the situation you're in.

And this team has set a level of expectation for this fan base where and look, we can both be excited about the future and excited about the kids playing and stuff. But the vast majority of this fan base is not excited about that. They're not excited about the potential to maybe compete, maybe get in the playoffs and lose. Like people are mad. Like the Phillies are in a situation right now where they have a fan base that is angry. Like they are mad at the Phillies. And if they come out and they and these kids, like I am concerned for painter for Crawford for Miller because what you talked about is correct.

Like I don't expect any of these to come up. They'll be flashes, but I don't expect them to come up and just kick ass right away. Like that's almost definitely not going to happen. Yet though, because of the situation they're being put in where this is a team that is, World Series or bust for a fan base. Like these kids are being put in a really tough position. Like you are asking these kids to step into a pressure cooker of a situation in a city that is, you know, tough to play.

And we know that. Like, I'm concerned for these kids. Like if Painter struggles right away, he's getting crushed. If Crawford struggles, we're going to hear, they could have baiter.

Like, that's going to come up all year long if Crawford stinks. And that's a bad spot to start your career. You know? It's an ideal spot of nothing else. That's where the defenders come out, baby. That's what we're going to have to, we're going to have to band together. Come on, back to back, Braveheart style, lower the ring style,

and just defend. Defend, defend, protect that wall. You got to protect the wall. You can't let the wall fall. You got to be better than that. You got to be above that. The wall of criticism that's going to come these kids' way. Let them live, let them play.

It's not their fault. they're put in the situation. I agree. You're right. They have set the expectation of World Series or plus. That's why you gotta lower your expectations. You got just take it down. We didn't already have a great pod title.

Lower your expectations is a pretty great pod title too. But if you lower your expectations, it's going to be enjoyable. It's why the six or season's been so fun. Because I don't care when they lose. And when they win, it's like, oh, this is fun. again and it beats and beats fun again like you gotta lower the expectations i don't think this is gonna go for a while expectations are what set up disappointment do you want to live in disappointment you're not getting nate shielhouse to coordinate this offense get right to learn mad naggy or jimubb gooter

like get ready that's how ready log it in the flyers are heading into purgatory we're all in the It's only 30s mindset. It's okay. I thought you're supposed to make me feel better. So I was like by the end of the pot, you're going to be jumping and saying, yay. Hey, this is Richard Deich, the host of the sports media podcast. If you're interested in what's happening with all the places where you consume sports, the sports media podcast has you covered.

I've been turning down interviews all week. Hoda Copy, reached out, Oprah, George Stephanopoulos. So I said, no. I was booked on the Deich podcast before. or the Taylor Swift phenomenon. I must live up to my responsibility. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

It's crazy how many of the top pitchers in baseball are, like we're college guys. Hunter Brown, I believe, was high school. Hunter Green struggled at first too. He did struggle. Hunter Green struggled and now is figured it out. But Hunter Green was like, was painter.

I mean, Painter was like him. Wheeler's a good one, but Wheeler also didn't break out until super, super late. Wheeler forever, yeah. But a lot of these guys, guys are college kids. I mean, they, they, so I'm just, that's my thing with, with Painter where obviously I can't wait

for him. But I, I, I would caution thinking, he has to still, like, mature pitching wise. And like, Jose Fernandez probably won't happen where Jose Fernandez, as a high school kid, blows the rankings and comes up and is unbelievable since, from, from day one. So I again, if it pitches to a four, it's got, it's easy to say in January. All of this is very, very easy to say in January. But if Andrew Painter pitches to a four year right this year, it's a, it's a win. It's a win.

So I agree with you. I just, I know it's not going to be seen that way. I know it's not. I know it's not. You're going to be, I just envision a baseball season of you battling people on W. Oh, man. It's going to be, well, I was already battling people yesterday. I'm sure you were.

Like, all right. Cole Hamel's in 06. Yes. 23 starts to win. 132 innings pitched. He was older, right? It was like 23 at that point. 22.

Okay, so Piner's age. 4.080. All right. Just accept it. Just accept it. Hey, again, again, Andrew Painter, lower your expectations. We are not watching a 2-5 ERA guy from day one.

Get ready. to learn a four ERA. This is like, this is what you have to do. This is what you have to do. Is this sending a good message? I don't think that. I was battling someone yesterday.

I mean, the whole message you're sending is lower your expectations. Like that is, that's it. That's everything you're saying is coming back to. Just, hey, guys, lower your expectations for the season.

But it's also kind of fun. But it's also kind of fun. You lost through there. I agree with you. You are correct. Like, people will be less upset. if they lower their expectations.

I don't want to lower expectations. Lower them. Lower them. If you lower them. But here's why you got to lower them. Because if they exceed them, then you're happy. Then you're happy. Trust me.

So this is Emily's whole philosophy on life. Emily is like all about lower expectations for everything and you're pleasantly surprised. Like that is that is her ethos. Sounds beautiful. I mean, I am obviously Emily and I've been opposites. not my ethos in life, not the way I go about things. That's what you see fish.

That's what you've seen fish. 17,000 times because they always keep raising the bar. They keep raising the bar every single time. Unbelievable show every time. Unbelievable. John Mayer, you know, giving all the shoutouts to Bob Weir,

RIP, the great Bob Weir. Yeah, listen, I used to be a... Imagine being John Mayer and you have all kinds of options in life. You're like a freaking superstar. You're a talented music.

And you're like, I'm going to give a decade of my life to play this other band's music. That's how great the grateful that are. That's how amazing. Well, it's how great John Mayer is. He's like, I will play, I would rather be Jerry Garcia as much as I can than be myself.

That's what he said. Well, yeah, I mean, he felt like he had to put them on the map. So I do you got to appreciate what he did for the band. And really, I think if he could go back and never record her body as Wonderland, I think he would do it. I agree with that, actually. Because he's way too good for the, the sticking point. being your body is Wonderland.

So I feel like he's basically spent the last, he's basically spent the last 15 years trying to make sure that people understand how good he is. And I think that's really the reason why he is doing all this. That's a good deep dive on John Mayer by the 17 minute mark of this podcast. That's what we're doing. That's what we do. You don't need a lower expectations when to go to a John Mayer show. That's true because he's playing with the Graveld Dad. Oh, man.

When he plays gravity, doll, you hear a little like, gravity. Oh, no. Oh, come on, man. So have you listened to Little Feet yet, by the way? No, no. You're really Elliot Shore Parksing on me. I always give you credit. Tucker knows.

Shout out to our producer, Tucker. Whenever we're doing a Go Bird Spot and Elliott will never watch any of the million movies that I suggest to him, even when I say, like, I pick this movie because I think you will like it, like strictly for you. And then I'll always say, you know what? When I say stuff to Jack, he always listens. He always watches. And I always give you credit.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Little Feet's the one that I haven't totally dove in on yet. You love it. It's southern swamp rock. It's like right up your alley. Yeah.

Yeah, I'm surprised I've never heard of them before, frankly. I am too. Yeah. Anyway. Anyway. Lower your expectations and everything will be. I mean, just making it out of the divisional round is a win this year. Oh, what a thrill.

Can we get to a NLCS? That's a goal this year. Dude, they've won two playoff games in the last two post seasons. You're not wrong, honestly. Two playoff games in the last two post seasons. Honestly, since, you know, whatever game. six against the diva bags they've been a disaster well yeah they lost those two at home they won one postseason game in 24 and they won one postseason game in 25 and the 25 team won 96

games and they had a two top five MVP guy a top two saw young guy how do you feel about uh sanchi pitching for for the medicate team you know i hate it i don't want i i wish the phillies as a team we're like we're not doing this sorry guys we owe our fan base our best this year. We have come to close. We've gone backwards and we know how much Philadelphia cares about us and invest in us. Honestly, it's funny because again, I'll shout out Tucker. Tucker asked me before he came in, Jack, and I'll throw this question at you. I said no to Tucker's question, but he said, you know, outside of training for scoble or something, is there anything the Phillies could do to get the fan base back in for this season? I said no, but I'll tell you, if every player

on the Philly said we're not going we're bandning together as a team we are not going to WBC I know it's important but we are winning world series here because we care most about that like honestly I do think that Philadelphia would get behind that I really do well I don't want them too I I I want Harper and Schwartz I know because you don't you don't care about the regular season anymore WBC's as much of a highlight as anything you'd see your Phillies playing a competition wow it's so exciting go Phillies well it might actually be the biggest moment of the of the season floor. It might.

I might. How's that as that? The, uh, I, I don't want any pitchers pitching in it, obviously. And Nola pitching for team Italy is still a joke. But, uh, yeah, I, Sanji could do what he wants. I just, I was in throwing. And got pressured into it, right? Isn't that like kind of the vibe?

Yeah, yeah, I guess. And I think the Phillies had to give him, uh, clearance to do it. But obviously with pitching 200 things last year, I hope he just, Just let him throw three innings and get out of there. We don't need to go set. If I see Chris Anchez pitching into the seventh, I will be beside myself. But I would like to see the U.S. guys play for the team USA. Just no pitchers, just no pitchers.

All the Brad Kellers on Team on Team USA, which I forgot about. So equally is exciting. Equally is exciting. So is there any? You've smiled this whole pod. And I just, you're making me smile and I resent it. It's not time to smile about the film. It is. Come on, man. Hey, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, there's still the fills.

You know what I mean? There's still the fills. There's still the best. It might be the best point you've made on there. They're still the best. So if there's any move that could excite the fan base. Yes. I do think people would be excited about A. E. E. E. Oh, if they signed him and I think honestly, if they just trade a bomb, I think people will be excited about it. You're not wrong. I think we've got to that point. I don't think it would raise like expectations, but it would raise excitement. Yes. Again, no raising. Lower. lower. But I think that A. You're just in the standpoint of getting someone who could hit

hit some bombs, 40 homers and strike out a million times. Another mid-30s guy, add him to the group. Actually, older, yeah. Well, I mean, he's like 35 or something, right? Yeah, yeah, that's what we do. Might only be a one-year deal. Come on, man. I better only be a one-year-old.

You're not going to pay boom anyway. Just, yeah, come on. Dude, I had A.U. Hanyo in my perfect office season. I'm in. Like, you preach, brother. So, A.U. Hanyo will get people excited if they came out nowhere and traded for Jaron Duran or Stephen Kwan. I mean, I think that

would excite people. That would be incredibly surprising, but yes. Yes, incredibly surprising. Yeah, of course. Stephen Kwan was not on the Shredder's top 10 left-fielder's, but Brandon Marsh was. I want that on the who is the shredders? Well, the shredder is their computer, I guess.

It's horrible. Throw the computer in the trash. And then the fan voting had Stephen Kwan is number one. so awesome yeah Stephen Kwan's never impressed you but I love watching

Stephen Kwan He's just a good player He's a good baseball player And a great left fielder And a great left fielder So I'm a little surprised I'm actually surprised There hasn't been much

Stephen Kwan Movement or talk Because he's a free agent after Next year I think one more year Yeah one more Well they just gave I mean they just basically

handed the franchise Over to Jose Reira. They're like $100 million. What are you crazy? Crazy. So he has this year,

is this year and next year. And next year, right? Yeah. And it's a free agent in 2028. So it would have been a good year to maximize that. But maybe, I mean,

they could compete this year for sure. The guardians. Maybe the playoffs last year. I know. He always can compete. It doesn't matter. He's on the team. It's really a super well run.

Imagine if they, They spent what we spent. They would have been like a five-time World Series. I know. Well, again, I was explaining this last night on WIP. But the, um, WIP, WIP, yeah.

The, the, just on point of the prospects and then coming up, you look around the sport now and all these small market teams have done a pretty good job of signing their star players at a younger age. So they're not hitting free agency the same way that a Harper or Machado or even Boba Shett this year or hitting it at like 28. Now, let me get over 30, of course. But then you're running risk of paying older players a lot of money. Yeah, exactly.

So and when those guys do hit free agency, it feels like they're just freaking Dodgers or or Mets at this point. So it becomes even more important for those kids to be to be good and draft and develop because the sport is trending towards. either the Dodgers can pay them or the homegrown kids are just staying home. So I mean, Gunner might be the next one. L.A. Dela Cruz was turned down an offer from the Reds. There was like hints of him being the first billion dollar player. Yeah, okay. Let's take it down a notch a little bit.

Let's take it down a few notches, all right? Great player. Let's not get carried away here. But I do think the sport is also turning towards a lot of these. Now, Connor Griffin, if you weren't in Pittsburgh, maybe the first. I'm just kidding. I mean, they should extend him right now. He doesn't need to play in the majors.

Just extend him. Dude, skeeensy, Griffin, Jared Jones. They won't add anything else to it, you know? No, no, no. They should sign a Eumania, but regardless. We got the trade skeins and trade Griffin. I mean, what are we doing here? Francisco Rintzeria's, uh, the biggest comp is.

Connor Griffin. Connor Griffin. Come on about it. Come on, man. They're saying Connor Griffin. I love when they comp like 17-year-olds to like 21. year olds. I'm like, all right, can we like, you know. Connor Griffin is like 19.

Or whatever, 19. Yeah, exactly. That's what I mean. It's just like, what are we doing here? By the way, the guardian, the guardians had the first pick in that draft and didn't take Connor Griffin or, uh, who else is in that draft? For obvious reasons, they knew they weren't going to pay him. So they're getting out of process. They drafted Travis Bonanza, uh, Bizzana. Hold on. Who is the other guy in that draft that I'm now blanking on?

Oh, that draft was, uh, Bazana won. Chase Burns went to, oh, Nick Kurtz. He went four. Oh, Nick Kurtz. He's pretty good. Yeah, yeah. So they had, they could have drafted Kurtz and they could have drafted Connor Griffin. Bring him home.

Go get Nick Kurtz. We will. We will. In a couple of years. Okay, good. Yeah. 3032 when Bryce retired. We're going to get Nick here for sure.

That's when Bryce's contract extension kicks in. I just never announced it yet. Yeah. Can't wait. Can't wait. All right. Let's bag it. So all the Aden Miller stuff is very exciting.

You saw what I did. That video of A, you know, Aidan Day of Best Prospects in Smith, all things. It's the best thing that's happened to me in the month. Like, the Philly sports have been so depressing. Now,

I would like them to stop with the Schmidt thing. Like, first off, it puts extra pressure on it. Yeah, pressure. Second off, like, gee, you guys developed Scott Rollin, and Chase Sutley, Ryan Howard, and Jimmy Rollins, like, can you just, I know you don't get great prospects all the time. Do you have to go overboard all the time and be like, who?

He's going to, I think he's going to be a really, really good player. I think he's going to be a cornerstone. But, oh, my goodness, can you guys just calm down? And every time you get one prospect that looks like can be a difference maker. It's like, this guy's Schmidt. Well, I think he's the best than Schmidt. Tone it down. Again.

It is what it is. It's just a factual statement. Better than Dom Brown. Better than all these cross-wise. Lower the expectations. Lower. Speaking of Ada Miller, if they don't trade Bohn, by the way, I would still trade bomb and start Kemp and Sosa every day at third base just to do it.

Yeah. Whatever. Get in the... I mean, at this point, when you're expectate, when you've lowered expectations, it really does open up the world to you. Because when you're not trying to win anymore, like, I don't want to look at Bome every night. I don't want to watch him play.

Like, let's just have fun with this. Still trying to win. We're going to win 90 plus games, may win the division. But, World Series, let's say. Wait and see on the whole World Series thing. So,

but if they don't trade Bome, if they don't trade Bome, and it's just, he's just your third baseman. I do think that they should, in spring training, get Aiden Miller some outfield reps. They should let him play left field. Even test the idea of playing center field and see if he can do it.

So you give him some outfield reps. See how he looks out there. It would create a spot for where he could make the big leagues this year because Bome pretty entrenched, Stott entrenched, obviously Turner entrenched. They're going to need a right-handed outfield. bat. Maybe Kemp is just the guy to go along with Brandon Marsh. They do need some insurance on Adela's Garcia in right field. Believe it or not, he could be really bad.

So I just think that they should test out Adam Miller in the outfield in spring training and see how he looks. And if Jackson Merrill was a shortstop coming up. They moved out. They moved in the center field. You don't have to be scarred. I know what you're going to bring up. I'm not bringing him. I don't care about that. Scott Kingery.

I didn't, I didn't buy that for a second. The Scott Kingery was a Scott Kingery. It was a Scott Kingery. Yeah, it was a Scott Kingery problem. Yes. So, if they,

if he, if they think he can break through this year and they're not going to trade Alec Bont where it would create third base where Kemp and Sosa can just man it until Aiden's ready. They have to get on some outfield reps. And I hope we see that in spring training.

So I, I'm fine. I don't, you know, I, I think they should, in general cross-train more players across the board and give guys different spots and try things out. Like I,

I'm fine with that. More just it kind of goes against your, you know, we care about the future and not the now thing. It's like, why rush it, you know? Let him come up and play a position he's comfortable with.

Why push it? Because I'm selfish and I want to see him in the big leagues. Okay. I'm in on it. Thank you. I'm fully support. I really. I can't wait to see what old pitcher they're going to sign to close out of the start

I'm just saying it is you talked about a move that would excite the fan base give me one year of verlander so I just saw it like I was just looking at a tweet where it was like Scherzer and Verlander still out there and I was like they need they're going Jack would be so happy they're going to sign a starter there's no doubt about it because they have to sign a starter, you know, that someone like, now they probably want more of a swing guy. So, well, they also probably want someone who they won't have a problem, yeah, to a swing point where they won't have a problem saying, hey, Zach Wheeler's back. You're on the bench now.

You know what I mean? Yeah, totally. Just saying, you're, you're in the bullpen now. Justin Verlander's not pitching out of your bullpen. Oh, you think so? Last, last nine starts for Justin Verlander, 2.5, the RA. Oh, buddy. Come on, man.

Let's go. Let's keep going back. Let's keep going back. 13 starts 2.6 ERA. Come on, man. Come on, man. Last 15 starts, 2.9ERA. 15 starts.

That's not a small sample. It's not a small sample. It's not a small sample. So, Verlainters, but the name that I actually want, like, bits aside, I actually think Chris Bassett makes a lot of sense. Oh, coming around. You've hated Chris Bassett for so long. Loathe.

Chris Bassett. I know. I've always, we've gotten into it. Welcome aboard. It's a good picture. Loath, Chris Bassett. Yeah, it gets out. But, like one year, 12 million, he could start for you if necessary. I was really impressed with what he did out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays last year. I don't think they could afford Nick Martinez, but Nick Martinez is someone who I think they've had.

Yeah, he's a perfect swing guy. Perfect. Perfect. So they need to sign that spot. I don't know if they're going to sign out. I think it's just going to be camp. I do, too. Dude, they've hyped Kemp up every opportunity they have had this off season.

Every time Dave has spoken, every time they have hyped Kemp up far. And we like Auto Kemp. We're auto Kemp, pro-O-Kemp bot. But like far more than Auto Kemp deserves to be hyped up. Like they go overboard. We love him. Like Otto's a part of their plan. I totally would you do.

Yeah, I think he's the platoon bat in left field for old Margie. Again, I hope I said this last podcast, which he podcasts ago. I can't tell if I both. I both think, I both think Brandon Marsh is underrated. Oh, he's both. And not that good. Not that good. He's underrated, but he's not that good.

And it's funny, because I see a lot of these tweets where people will be like, you know, who is that? Someone just had a player A, player B tweet where like player A was Marsh and player B was Harrison Bader. Oh, it was Jeff Kerr. Yeah. It was Jeff Kerr. Okay.

And it's like, look. He's better. Enough. All right. we've all seen Brandon Marsh play in the playoffs. Like we all know what his deficiencies are. And they are blessed. He is a guy who is a fine regular season player gets the playoffs.

He could pitch to him. Like he, you could pitch to him in the playoffs. He can't hit lefties. Still all these years later, like Brandon Marsh is a nice player to have on your team. Nonsense with he's a good to whatever left field. He's not the 10th best left fielder in baseball.

Like enough. Enough. Hit over 300 after April last year. Yeah. Great defensive player and left field. Come on, man.

Come on, man. Open your eyes. Yeah. So, yeah, I think that's pretty much it. But Chris Bassett

I really like to close up the rotation. I like that. And Aidan Miller gets a outfield rest. The thing with the Chris Bassett signing is you know what happens, right? They sign for, let's say 10 million,

because that's the number, you know, 10 million for Chris Bassett. Why do you just give that to Bader? Why would you get this? We don't even need a starting. You let Ranger, walk and then you bring it like that's exactly the response if something like that it's just prepare yourself for you know that right yeah 100% but bitwise I want verlander just want that on

the record it's per I mean you've been on the record for like a decade wanting verlander so he's 20s is it 266 I know he's at twos I would take sherserser would be fun too sherser actually would pitch out of the bullpen he would yeah he would pitch out of the bullpen and who could forget the throwback sherser in the playoffs last year we could have sherser and no one the same team. We could talk about 2018 all the time. We could think about that matchup. And we can talk. Dude, imagine when people ask him

about Joe Girardi making him strip on the mound. That was amazing. That was one of the all time moments. It was the first night, it was the first night spider attack was taken out. Was it the first? That was the second. It was the first, yeah. One of those.

The spider attack had just been taken out of baseball. So good. And they make Max Scherzer strip on the mound. It's perfect. Also, I think the Iron Pigs dog is named Scherzer. So I think that's a good reason to go sign Max Scherzer. Best reason I've heard. Last thing.

Yes. Getting some whispers, getting some whispers that this pitching class they drafted, it's a problem. The Gagewood class you're talking about? Gagewood, James Tallinn, Kate Obermuller, Sean Youngerman, Gabe Craig. I mean, let's go.

Andrew Walters, Brian Walters. They're going to, it's exciting. And Matt, Matthew Fisher's probably going to be a top-thamp process. Look at this. You got me smiling right now. Look at this.

I didn't think it was possible. Well, I do wonder if not to bring up their draft philosophy and whether or not it's changed on January 28th, but they went for a lot of, like, college kids that they feel like they can get more out of, versus just shooting in the moon with high school kids.

So maybe I'm curious they do it with the bats this year in the draft because last year was so much different from what they've done. Oh, yeah, it was unbelievable, yeah. It was every pick. It was like another pitcher. I think they were all college. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, until Fisher.

And even after, it was a lot of college guys too. Exciting stuff. Exciting. Yeah, buddy. All right. I can't wait for minor league baseball. Yeah, I know. I know.

I know. I will agree with you on this. I'm excited for Miller. I'm excited for painter. I'm excited for crime. Thank you. And Gage Wood by September. Thank you.

Bring him. Let's go. That guy's a dog. Dog. All right. We'll be back next week. Until then, he's friends themselves.