High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - The 2023 Perfect Offseason Pod

Episode Date: November 16, 2023

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz deliver their official Perfect Offseasons for the Phillies ahead of the upcoming Winter Meetings. 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-star closer, Kenley Jansen, we have a question. What's the best podcast of all time? Baseball Isn't Boring, baby. I'm Rob Bradford, and every single day I'm sitting down with the biggest names to show you this great game is the greatest game. It's my podcast. It's my passion. It's a cause I started more than two years ago and is now the most prolific national daily baseball pod there is.

Another fact, so jump aboard the B.I.B. Express. Follow and listen to Baseball Isn't Boring, presented by Wasabi Hot Cloud Storage on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the High Hopes Podcast. High hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Odyssey and Sports Radio 94. WIP.

It is another edition of the IELTS podcast. We made it, buddy. It's the perfect offseason. Yes. The one we wait for. Probably our favorite pod to record every year i forgot to do it no you didn't i don't believe you for a second that is such a lie you you have so many in your head you could probably rattle off like six different perfect off seasons on the fly if you needed to so i will be completely honest it was the it was

the hardest one to really put together so i do have extras that i need like the extra ideas i didn't do so i did too i have a couple where if like if this doesn't happen then this type of for your sake i did not create multiple perfect off seasons that's really nice i have my perfect off season and then i have other ideas that i think are also interesting at the same time good i can't wait but this is like look so for those uh who might not know check it out on youtube we're actually doing this one in youtube because it's a big big it's a big pod right so and jack just lowered himself to see what was the thinking there were you too tall you felt like you're bigger than me well you are bigger than me now

i am bigger than you i am bigger than you and uh given that there's been a lot of lack of running with walker oh you feel big yeah i just think if i if i get smaller at least the table can cover up bigger than you. And given that there's been a lot of lack of running with Walker. Oh, you're feeling big. If I get smaller, at least the table can cover up a little bit. It's a belly thing. I think you look great. Thanks, pal. I appreciate the... My hair's all messed up from wearing headphones all morning. I don't care. That's what we do. I mean, the hair's fine.

I'm not like Elliot who will have it behind his ears. It's so lame. I'm sorry. It's so lame. Here's what I don't get about the beat writers. What are you dressed up for thank you like you're just covering a football i've said this forever howard i understand you're on the sideline you're howard's howard's it's a brand like that's what howard does you know just wear something semi-nice be a normal person you don't have to wear a suit like what you're wearing today you're representing wip like cool yeah it's like i just it's enough like the nba coaches now like these wear suits now they just wear jumpsuits

and they're probably like why the hell did we ever wear suits now i do appreciate the baseball manager still wear uniforms which is ridiculous it's so absurd that they don't it's the only sport where they do it it's like dude i need sirianni wearing a jersey and pads on game day i think that'd be amazing do you remember when mike nolan wore the yeah the suit on this it was ridiculous he looked he looked so dumb yeah i was like this is not cool this is not like tough you look like a you're not tom landry you look ridiculous you're not tom landry you're not exactly right yeah get a dumb little hat yeah exactly exactly right so um it was a really tough perfect offseason put together because you know as i was going through it they're sort of set i know like

they're so it disappoints me you have no idea like you have no idea how many bullpen pieces i wanted to sign and i just came back to it like they're good like they're good they don't need a lot of bullpen help like they're what i am i am a lost man i know i have no identity without finding that my bullpen i have no i have no i have a semi-interesting bullpen trade but i don't have like my patented derrick hall for hunter henry or hunter harvey or uh or michael given straight that i've had in my perfect really a perfect off season. It's almost like an off season. I actually think I try to be too Dombrowski-ish.

Yeah. So I went for it. I was like, it's my perfect off season. I'm bringing it. I know. Are we going to be shouting at each other today? So here's the thing. I wanted to start there, okay?

I'm a little mad at Joe Giglio. I feel like he sucked a little bit of the the so i texted jack full disclosure was like friday night i texted jack and i was like i'm so excited about the perfect off season i'm doing stuff now and i text him an hour later i'm like i spent the last hour i'm so excited about it i have i've got all i showed him my notes yesterday it's like way too many notes i actually really really... I closed my eyes. This is your pod. I'm just here to give mine and hang out and really react to yours.

I went for it this year. You have more notes than me, which is actually shocking. I know. I really took it seriously. I got a fun trade you're not going to be expecting. I may or may not have actually attached some prospects to trades. Not all of them. I might need a little help from you.

I don't have sounders. But it's too very serious. And then we go with Joe Giglio and have to like give a lot of our thoughts and it's like well that sucked a little of the the spontaneity out of it i'm a little mad at gilio i gotta say it yeah well it's i think first off you'd be speaking for a lot of people you're not the first person that take um and it's so fun like all right i get one one thing on jillio like he's one of our best friends i love him and wonderful he's a great and i'm sorry that sometimes his opinions annoy you my people do not like them and i think it's fine it's gonna be okay he's good people um so uh yeah

and i did not expect to get into a a back and forth about mike trotter one photo i had to make my point clear yeah we're not gonna yell at each other no also i'll be nicer about it i wasn't in a great mood so i really just wanted to yell about something i got it which is rare for you i mean you being in a yelly mood is very unlike you yeah well it's good things happen um sports radio a little different from podcast oh yeah this is believe me we we don't have we've never yelled at each other on this point never well definitely and i'm sure you will do i have definitely yelled at elliot like oh yeah for sure like i have i have gotten actually angry with him and been like no you're too smart to say this like you can't say this that's a reach

but I'm trying to be nice okay I'm trying to be nice but I don't think I've ever gotten that mad at you well because you you look up to me that's exactly right you would never disrespect that well no we we yell at each other about the Kimbrel thing oh yeah we did a little bit also on the radio

it was on the radio though on this pod I don't think we've ever yelled at each other like in a room should we do that should we do at the end of every podcast it's just something to yell about it's something to yell about now idiot um all right before we get to perfect off seasons i do have to do one little thing and it's a massive thank you to our listening audience okay which we always do and whatever but it seems it seems like we do this once a podcast i'm just interested to see where this is going now i would just like to say to the i don't know 20s 30s 40s of people who chimed in saying they knew who joan didion was letting jack know that i was not crazy for saying joan didion was someone that people cared about on the last pod i just from the

every single one i saw and a lot of them were emails, Jack sent them to me, like everyone warmed my heart. Every single one was like, I'm right, Jack's wrong, and I really appreciate that. So thank you. That's why I just wanted to, and there were a lot. There were a lot. I'm sorry if I didn't respond. I'm sorry if I didn't respond to every email.

Turns out, hand up, a lot of people like Joan Didion was not aware of, again, who it was at all. I know. Ever. They're really clear. Good on everyone for reading. I would say, it just proves again that I

do believe that High Hopes listeners are smarter. I actually had that same thing. They are more well-read than any other podcast audience in human history. So I think that's a fair statement to make. Have you thought any more about the James Seltzer Book Club? Do you have things for people to read this week?

I mean, I'm always reading books, so yes, of course. Well, what's in the James Seltzer Book Club this week? All right, so what I'm... It's weird to just be like, all right, I'm reading this. Yeah, yeah, read's in the James Seltzer book club this week? All right, so what I'm... It's weird to just be like, all right, I'm reading this. Yeah, yeah, read it. It is weird. Start yelling at people to read it. So I just, I'm actually...

And again, the Joan Didion thing, I would also like to apologize to all the Joan Didion fans because the genesis of the conversation was that was the one book I didn't finish. I couldn't get through Joan Didion. Yeah, it's not like you're a big Joan Didion fan. No, I'm just actually saying I'm... Because if you were, it would have turned into probably us yelling at each other.

I'm not a Joan Didion fan is the real takeaway. I was not. But there were some great recommendations for some Joan Didion. I'm going to try again. Okay. So thank you to everyone out there. I'm going to give Joan another shot, especially seeing how much people loved her. I feel like kind of an idiot.

But I read a lot more for fun. I'm not reading like letter and piece or anything. Oh, when I think of things that are fun or anything, reading fiction books is number one. Yes. So fun. It is maybe my favorite activity. Um, so I just,

I'm in the middle of a book called, uh, it's a sequel to a book called fourth wing, which came out last year by Rebecca Yaros. It is a, uh, a book about dragons. It was, the first one was amazing. Like, is it going to be the next French movie franchise? by Rebecca Yaros. It is a book about dragons. Oh my God.

The first one was amazing. It blew me away. Is it going to be the next movie franchise? It's a little YA-ish, to be honest. It's definitely a little... I'm not saying I feel super proud about reading it, but it's awesome, and it's super fun. I also just started the Will Trent series by Karen Slaughter.

Is that her real name? He's a detective. She's a detective? He is. Karen Slaughter wrote the books about Will Trent, who is actually in the Georgia FBI type of thing. Riveting. They're good.

They're good. The Will Trent books are good. It's a TV show now, so it's good enough. It's a TV show now. So, you know, it's good enough. You know, it's a popular thing. Well, I got a book for you. Whoa. Loud by Angelo Cataldi? I don't know if you've heard.

Angelo's on that. We're good friends. Should we bring him on to High Hopes? I mean, he's on every single podcast that's ever existed. Here's the thing. He's on every pod that I, literally, it is unbelievable. I see Angelo popping up on things I never even heard of. I think he might say no to us.

Oh, 100% for sure. For all the pods. He'd be like, I'll go on every pod, not that one. Yep. Yeah, well, whatever. I'm excited to read the book. It'll be the book I read. It'll be the book you read.

Yeah, that'll be my James Seltzer book club of the year. The one book you read of the year. I'm going to read Loud 2. Gave me a nice personalized copy. I feel like. He wrote me a personalized copy and ripped me in it at the same time. Did he really? Yeah, of course.

Yeah. Yeah, for the Turner ovations. That's good. I taught you nothing is what he said. Yeah. Well, listen, it was very enlightening. He actually, I mean, he kind of, in a way, on our show, basically intimated that you ended his career, in a way.

Because he's like. You're welcome, Philadelphia. Yeah. He's like, I was gone. Turner thinger thing i hated it i was fully against it i would have camp manians on the air and it worked he's like so maybe i don't know what i'm doing anymore like you really made him be like all right i guess i guess i truly am done you ended the angelo godaldi thing so he's brought it up on every podcast he's been on and he really seems like he's in a he's in a mental

tizzy about it he doesn't like it he doesn't seem to compute yeah as to how it happened so um but i mean listen in a way it's almost an ode to angela it's just the complete opposite of the dirty i love that it's a good way to look at it that's what i told him yesterday yeah he didn't agree or respond but it was fine it was great we had a nice long off the air conversation yeah we didn't at all we didn't at all uh shout out to angelo check out his book aloud jack will read it i will read it we can maybe report on it have a conversation about it without angelo yeah we'll give our takes on the angelo book without angelo here yeah it's a good way

to start the perfect off season i will come next week with some more book recommend i i mean i got all kinds of you don't have to okay yeah you're good that was good you're done all right let's move on okay thank you perfect off season Perfect off-season time. Are we there? What are we, six minutes into the podcast? Seems like an appropriate time. We're far more than six minutes into this podcast, I would guess. 13 minutes. 13 minutes of dynamite content. It wouldn't be us if we jumped right into it.

I mean, what are we doing? All right, let's do it. Should we just do it? Yeah, I'll go first, as always, because yours is the main event. Mine's just the little prequel that it will get there. So again, like notes, notes,

notes, notes, the camera, the problem is the camera can't see it. Well, I don't want to, I don't want to give it away. I just want to see that I had to scroll four times in my notes.

I have to get to the bottom. I even have opening statements. Really? Yeah. Three important. Why do you have an opening statement? Three important things to note philosophically about my perfect offseason one i acknowledge that it can't be perfect at every single spot on the roster but i'm pretty close also you know i'm expecting in season upgrades they can still make the team better like i will

say at the start i don't have a great right-handed bench on the bat i'm sorry about that i'm working on it we can get someone during the season or maybe get there you have a great right-handed bench on the bat. I'm sorry about that. I'm working on it. We can get someone during the season or maybe get there. You don't have a great right-handed bench on the bat? On the bench. Right-handed bat coming off the bench. Damn it. That one's on me. Wow.

Unlike Elliot, who would be like, I didn't say that. Like, did you see the thing we had on the pod, the Go Birds pod? No. Elliot made a very inappropriate comment by mistake and then refused to believe that he said it even though people tweeted at him they said it until tucker sent the video of him saying it to us so i appreciate you know i will just acknowledge when i'm wrong okay so now i'm a good right-handed bench bat uh number two most importantly and this is the

most important thing that i'm going to say here i trust brian barber and preston mattingly and the front office infrastructure to replace and restock the guys I'm trading away. Because guess what? I'm trading some guys away. So prepare yourself. But this is what good organizations do. What championship organizations do

is when they have a real window and this team is right in the thick of a window, they trust their organizational strength, their ability to draft and develop new players to be able to trade away some of those guys they have to bolster the organization, the Major League. And before you get into it, I think

that is an important thing to talk about, where we're at with this team right now, is that they have evolved into being in that window. We've talked about their window. We've talked about, they should do this now. It's stone cold in the window now's the time yeah and and my perfect golf season reflects that in a big good

and what i like about what john middleton has said you know before last season was no one remembers how much money all these 1927 yankees also like if he's in that mindset i mean i think he's also going to be on board with we got got it. The Phillies right now, now you can't sell everything, but it's about these next four years. Agreed. That's all that, all that matters is these next four years. You have to position your organization about these next four years.

And that's funny because that's my third thing. I know I'm spending John Middleton money. Yes. We're very good at it. My off season is admittedly greedy. I'm going to say that, but he has said he wants to spend he has said he wants to win i believe in him and uh i know our guy jack's gonna spend to

win and i believe he will continue to spend to win titles okay my perfect off season here we go i'm not going trout fishing pal i'm sorry yeah well i can't do it that hurts i'm winning it with juan buddy i'm winning it with juan how. I'm winning it with Juan. How about that? We're going to fight about it again. I'm trading for Juan Soto. He's better. He's a much, much, much better baseball player than Mike Trout. I know it's one year, but I'm going to get him. He's healthier.

He's not better. Okay. He's better. Now, at this point. You want to do a total package or just hitting? That's a good point. I'm just talking hitting. Okay.

That's fair. He's not great in the outfield. Really? No. We're going to be back to having a bad left fielder. That's a good point. I'm just talking hitting. Okay. That's fair. He's not great in the outfield. Really? No. We're going to be back to having a bad left fielder. That's fine. I can accept that because we'll have such good players in other positions defensively. I know it's a one-year deal, so you got to help me.

I have names on here. Okay. It's only one year. I think it might be too much. Is Mick Abel, Johan Rojas plus too much? It's probably too much. You think that's the right amount? Yes.

Okay. So that's why I have Mick Abel, Johan Rojas, too much. It's probably too much. You think that's the right amount? Yes. Okay, so that's why I have Mick Abel, Johan Rojas, and a third prospect in there. Fair? I actually think it might cost more. It's possible. Well, I said a third good prospect. Listen, obviously, I'm not going to be mad if they trade for Juan Soto. He's Juan freaking Soto.

It's just the one-year thing does worry me. And if they've already gone this far if Scott Boris and he's one year away from free agency hitting it at 26 but spend win him get him sure but there's also going to be more bidders out there for him so of course you have to go over and

trade a lot for one year of Juan Soto now if it's the World Series window sure that it's obviously he puts them and my thought is that series window, sure. Um, that it's, it obviously puts them. And my thought is that with, with trial, I have no faith that he's going to stay on the field. And again, like we talked about in the last one,

you made a very compelling case for trout. When you make your perfect off season, I'm not going to fight. If they trade for my trial, I'm not going to be like mad or whatever. Obviously I'll be in on it. I just, I would rather guarantee my lineup this year with Juan Soto.

And especially if I can win a world series with that guy, I think he's going to stay. I think they're going to keep him here. Um, a lot of his guys are here, which is important. And his guys are here. Kevin Long's here.

Trey Turner's here. Brace Harper's here. Like all these guys he knows and has played with Kyle Schwaber. Like, so I do think that matters. I think it's a good spot for me. Wants me on the East coast. So I know it's a risk.

I get that, but, but I'm, I'm trading for Juan Soto. I'm giving up the pieces to do it alright so that's my first move of the offseason now the pitcher thing

I'm letting Nola walk I'm not excited about it and if I thought I could get Nola for a cheaper price in cheaper years I would do it but I'm trying to be realistic with this so I am signing

and again I don't think this guy is going to come here but this is my perfect offseason I'm signing Yosh and again, I don't think this guy's going to come here, but this is my perfect offseason. I'm signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to an eight-year, $200 million contract. Nice. I think it's a fair number. I did a lot of research about potential contracts for this guy. It seems like an appropriate number.

I'm stretching. I'm taking eight years. He's only 25 years old. He'll be essentially a year older than Noel is now when the contract is done. Yeah. I think he is done. Yeah. I think he's awesome. Yeah. I actually,

I was about to say scouted. I did not scout. I watched, I watched. You scouted him. I did. You scouted him. Like I watched a lot.

Like, you know me, I'm not Mr. That's you. That's what you do. I watch a lot of this kid and he's freaking awesome. Like he is legit, legit.

He's won the pitching triple crown three times, won MVP twice, won their Cy Young three times. Like, I just think he's awesome, and he's only 25, and there's so much future in front of this kid. I would rather pay a 25-year-old a ton of money than pay Aaron Nola or pay Big Snell.

That's what it comes down to for me in terms of signing a pitcher. And again, I don't think it's going to happen, but I want him. I want Yamamoto. That's my move. So, not to give mine away too, but I also am signing Yoshi. I'm signing Yoshi. Now I'm signing him for 6175.

Okay. But still, I mean, it's going to be around there between six and eight years. Everything you said, 25 years old. I think that's the most important part. Me too. That was my main thing. So even if he comes over and ends up being a three, the thing about Yamamoto that's so enticing is that Wheeler's here under contract.

Or they got re-signed after next year. We do have Andrew Painter coming in 2025. And it's hard to bank on him, but he was a top five can't-miss prospect until he needed Tommy John. So if you go, if he lives up to the hype, and you can go Wheeler, Painter, Yamamoto, Ranger. Right?

Santos. I mean, dude. I mean, it's nasty. Well, and that's why I like the idea, and you'd go wheeler painter yamamoto ranger right santa i mean dude i mean i like the idea and you'd have to sign soto but i like the idea of having these because it does seem like the phillies are into the stretching contracts thing and to signing guys long term for cheaper iav which is smart and i like it and obviously look there's going to be some some payment on the back end that that might not be as pretty as we want it to be but if you're already doing this thing i like the idea of staggering them. You know, you got the Turner Harper one going for a while,

then you add the Soto Yamamoto with them, and you're kind of just, you got to force them to just carry you forward, and Wheeler will be signed too. So I love it. And again, I get the Soto stuff, but I need Juan Soto here. I'm sorry. Okay. All right, I have two more big moves.

Three moves total, two more big moves, three moves total, two more big moves. One more, one more big move, but a minor move, but I'm making two bullpen moves. I don't even know that we need two bullpen guys, but I can't help myself.

I'm signing Hector Neris. Yeah. Let's bring him back. He's coming home, man. He's awesome. He was really good again this year in Houston. As long as he's not the closer.

He gets it. No, I got that coming. No worries. I got that closer um so i'm signing hector two years 20 million i feel like that's probably pretty fair he opted out of a one year eight and a half million dollar deal i think two for 20 give him that extra year a little bump so i think hector uh two years 20 plus the vibes thing man like he was one of those guys who was beloved here we need phillies back but all you ever heard about hector Ruiz here is everyone loved him. Like, all the guys loved him.

I think he fits in perfectly. He's freaking awesome. Learned some stuff with the Astros. And sad to say, World Series champion Hector Neris. Yeah. Well, we don't acknowledge that. No. And he's not allowed to bring his ring.

But I am bringing. No, no, no. No, no, no. Burn it. Lose it like Kelsey did. Exactly. Bring Hector home. All right.

So this is my last big move um and it's more a symbol of the idea the type of move i want to make because i know they go sign hater it's the only closer on the market that i'm if they want to go sign i'd be like all right cool that that's closer yeah like liam hendricks had tommy john he's not gonna be ready all that stuff which i did not know on last week's podcast i realized that i found it out in between and i was like oh gotta, got to bring that up. Look, I don't know if this team would trade this guy. And I'm not saying he's my favorite, but I think he's pretty good.

And he's 26. He's under control through 27. I know I'm going to have to give up something legit to Gavin. I have Justin Crawford as the person I'm giving him, but it might be too much. You have to tell me on that. But there were rumors about him last year at the trade deadline. I think that this team is in the process of rebuilding. 27

is not that far away. They're definitely not going to pay him after. I'm trading for Alexis Diaz to be my closer. Rumors last year at the trade deadline, they were talking about moving him. It was a thing. More the idea that I'm trading for a closer. Whether it's Bednar,

whether it's Diaz, I think Diaz is who I can get a little cheaper than getting Bednar. I think Bednar would cost more. I think Alex Lang costs you more. I think you can get Diaz for a little bit cheaper.

They were already thinking about moving. I think it's a team that's willing to make kind of weird moves like that too in the Reds where you wouldn't, it's kind of antithetical.

So I'm trading for, do you think it costs Crawford? I had Crawford for Diaz as my trade. Probably Crawford and like another and another something I mean we know how valuable

closers are and he's really good he's really good Edwin Diaz is brother for people to know Edwin Diaz versus Alexis Diaz for the next it's kind of fun

so I was trying to find someone that made sense and I'm willing again I know that in these deals I'm giving up Mick Abel Yoan Rojas Justin Crawford plus I get it i am draining the pharmacist but i'm keeping

andrew painter and i'm keeping some other dudes who i like coming up so oh who do you like coming up we'll get there uh so i feel good about that and then my last move yeah um uh and this is a bench room and again i know it's a left-handed bat but it's to replace jake cave i still need more i know we got- Do we need to replace Jake Cave? I mean, he was so good last year. You're right. It's a good point.

The point is- He started opening the day starter, Jake Cave. Replace is the wrong word. To take his spot on the roster. I guess that's replace. Same thing. I'm signing Eddie Rosario to a one-year $5 million deal. I just want a dude who's freaking done it

and who, when he steps up in the playoffs, I feel like if I need a guy to come up in a spot and me a pinch it in the playoffs i feel like he's going to come through for me and that's that's that dude and can spot start if you had to but like he's good and he comes through in the place of freaking nlcs mvp i know they don't necessarily need another lefty bat but that's my move there i just need eddie rosario here again i'm admitting i need to upgrade at the end of the day at right hand at bat on the bench and I'm gonna need to uh you know the the question about the fifth starter Walker's still on my team it is what it is so here's my I'll give you my lineup and and bullpen as it stands

after my offseason Schwarber leading off and again you could argue how the line plays out I got a couple lefties in a row whatever but schwerber leading off turner in the tool harper in the three oh juan soto in the four oh not bad jt in the five oh stott six boom seven marsh eight cassie nine you can move yeah whatever yeah it was more of a statement i mean that's it's a pretty damn good lineup there yeah rotation wheeler yamamoto ranger sanchez walker really good about that walkers are five like that's okay. And then a bullpen of Diaz, Alvarado, Neris, Kirkering, Strom, Soto, Sir Anthony, and Hoffman. And a bench of Sosa, Stubbs, Pache, and Rosario. Like, it's not perfect.

It feels pretty close to perfect. It's pretty good. It's pretty good. I feel really good about it. My only problem with it. I put a lot of effort and work in this year, my friend. Rosario, I just know would come here and immediately go back to being like twins rosario i know um which because like on paper of course like kills them just kills this team i love them dude it's just

like it's like conan all over again we were like the one guy in the in the braves whatever was game four we're like the one guy we didn't want to come to play. It was the one guy Rob Thompson planned the bullpen around was Eddie Rosario, which is insane, but you have to. So that's a really good team. I'm proud of you. Thank you. This might be the best I've ever done. Yeah.

Perfect. Hey, fantasy football owners. The road to winning your fantasy football championship starts now. I'm Matt Harmon from Reception Perception. Join me and James Coe as we take a deep dive into the position that's going to make or break your fantasy roster. Wide receivers. We analyze route

running, target share, and all the metrics that matter giving you the insights you need to draft the best wide receivers. As you prep for your draft, let us give you the coverage you need. Follow and listen to Reception Perception on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts um so yeah yeah all right it's showtime it's like a drum roll drum roll i'm sure tucker

can put that in yeah we're gonna get tucker to do extra work yeah exactly oh wow tucker tucker's leaving the studio he's furious um all not the friar for nothing, okay? All right. So I'm just letting you know. I don't have... You might actually have more moves than me, which is disappointing for a lot of people. Wow.

I know. It's going to be shocking. It is going to be shocking. All right. My first move is I'm trading Justin Crawford, Mick Abel, William Bergola, and taiwan walker to the angels for mike trout and carlos estevez i love the estevez ad on there thank you that is a really estevez is a good pitcher and he can close and he can close so i get my closer i get mike trout

so wait say that so abel crawford and who? Bergola. And Tywin Walker. So I get off to Tywin Walker. Tywin's a big key. It's three tops. So you're not paying any of Trout down, but you're just giving the salary back and in a way paying off the 50, whatever, 60 million that he has left. 54 for Tywin Walker. It's 54? 54 million.

Oh, yeah, because it was 72. Oh, wow. So yeah, he was a little higher in the first year. He's got 18 million a year left on his deal. I thought it was 14 million a year. Did I do bad math? I don't know. 72, 4. I did bad math. That's my fault. Wow, he makes 18 million a year left on his deal. I thought it was $14 million a year. Did I do bad math? I don't know. 72, 4.

I did bad math. That's my fault. Wow, he makes $18 million a year. That's crazy. Isn't that awesome? Isn't that great? That's crazy. Doesn't that make you excited?

For some reason in my head, I had $14 million. Yeah. No, it's $18. No, it's $18. It's awesome. Yes, get rid of that. Please. So yeah, so Justin Crawford, who I think is going to be pretty good.

I do too. But we'll see. They already have a lot of center fielders or a lot of outfielders. We don't know if he's going to develop power. He either is going to be a nice ball player or a great player, and it's going to depend on if he can develop some power or not. Mick Abel, I still think he has a chance to be a stud, but there's just major control issues with him.

So, I mean, I think another year of kind of development would do wonders for him. I don't think he's ready for next year. Oh, it would be great in Los Angeles. Oh, yeah. They're going to develop him so well. It's almost like you could trade whatever prospect. They're not going to be able to develop him. I got this career to work out.

That sucks. Besides Ohapi. Ohapi worked out. Yeah, but Ohapi just hits. Yes. I don't think they – and to be fair, I think Ohapi was like ready for the majors when we traded him more or less too. So they didn't really have to develop him. Yeah, so I'm getting my trout.

The more and more I think about it, I want a right-handed patient bat. I love how in you are. I love how when you first started, you were like, you made the trout fishing joke on that pod, and you're like, I'm going trout fishing. It was kind of in jest, but kind of serious, and now you're fully in on trout fishing.

Well, because I think they're getting one of the best players at a discount in the history of baseball and the injury stuff. I do. I'm not not acknowledging the injury stuff, but even a semi injured Mike Trout is still a really good baseball player as long as he's healthy in October and whatever. And I think they have a better chance to manage him here. And which is the key. And I think that I do like at some point he has to leave Los Angeles. If he wants to have any semblance of like a legacy, a legacy kind of,

um, first career. So it feels like the right time for it. The angels, when they lose Otani, I mean, is he going to be looking around like, what the hell do I have here?

Why am I staying here? Because I, because I don't Otani, I mean, is he going to be looking around like, what the hell do I have here? Why am I staying here? Because I don't want to be in the bright lights of whatever town I go to. I mean, like the Cardinals, I think, would be in on him. But I just don't know where he goes to, I mean, here. I don't think the Yankees. I think the Yankees are probably going to get Soto. Yeah. Again, this is my perfect offseason.

I do not expect the Phillies to get Juan Soto. In fact, I think it is highly unlikely the Phillies will get Juan Soto. The Mets, they talk about going into a two-year rebuild. Do they want to trade for Mike Trout right now? Red Sox? I think Soto is more likely for the Mets to trade him for a year and then sign him. They're more likely to just wait

and try and sign him, though, if anything. I just think it's the right time. I think if you can get Taiwan in a deal it takes a little bit of money off your books you have seven years 220 left on on trout i believe it's not like insane you know we're paying cassiano's 125 million over five years you know so yeah wait no i thought he was he was 100 wasn't he i thought he's 5125 either way yeah i think, wasn't he? I thought he was 5'125". Either way. Yeah, I think he's 5'100". He's 360 last year. Yeah, he's 500 because he was the same amount but one extra in the short.

Right. So bring me Mike Trout and bring me Carlos Estevez, who I wanted them to sign last year, and they did not. Yeah. I'm signing Yoshi Yamamoto to six years, 175. Love that we're on the same page on this. Don't have to give up a draft pick, which is important to me. For you, that's for sure, yeah.

And I think he's just really freaking good. You look at his pitch mix, it's Darvish-ish. Darvish had more pitches, but he has that little flippy curveball that he can get in. My one pitching concern with Yamamoto is the fastball. The four-seamer just looks a little flat. But he did show a feel for a two-seer and a cutter and some of the videos i saw so um but i like he doesn't walk people he pitches deep into games seems like a horse and he's a horse and he's 25 years old so

pitching big games over there like that matters that matters and i would just like blake snell at 31 no interest no it's just i mean blake snell today or last night just won his second site no i'm with you i am not look i did the same thing i went yamamoto we both said we'd rather have nola than snell you know obviously years and money are part of it but i just think it is pretty funny because i don't ever remember someone who's like had just won the cy young that year who like more people were like yeah i guess i mean the stark laid it out really well yesterday about how like they're well first off they said they're lukewarm which is good but like he's just so you don't know what you're getting yeah you have no idea what you're getting um and paying him off that off a career ish year uh again just it doesn't add up to me so um i'm getting on moto and and i think uh i think

him and wheeler into painter is a really good future one two three two man um i think and ranger is a good four like i think you got like ranger the four is a steal that's what i'm saying and even sanji we like him like like that is your rotation through this this window i mean that you got assuming everyone stays healthy you got one of the best rotations in baseball for the next three years. And I think Yamamoto's floor is really high, too. Ceiling, I mean, obviously Snell's ceiling's higher. Yeah, well, Snell's ceiling is... But I think his floor, like,

I think Yamamoto for the next six years, seven years, is probably going to be a 3-5 and below guy most years. It's kind of like getting a new Aaron Nola in a lot of ways right where it's like the the high end is is high he's like a top five say young type guy potentially or whatever but he's never theoretically we believe he's never going to give you those those bottom seasons where he's going to just go out and eat innings for you and and give you good stuff and stuff wise um like he's been compared a lot to tanaka i think his stuff's better than Tanaka's. Darvish's stuff was really, really good.

Darvish's stuff was silly. Yeah. Especially, like you mentioned before, I mean, I don't ever remember someone where it's like, oh, this guy's got like 15 pitches. Yeah, he's got a lot. Or eight pitches or nine. He's got a lot of pitches.

He can really throw. I mean, that's crazy. And one of those pitches, Schwarber hit 488 feet. You're damn right. Good job. I am signing. I feel like I have been... Real quick, I just want to, again,

it makes me so happy that we're both on Yamamoto. Sometimes I feel like I'm not bringing it enough with the perfect offseason or I'll feel like I didn't... I'm happy to hit on the pitcher you hit on. It makes me feel good in my soul. I'm happy for you. I feel like I've wanted to sign this guy for a while because I think he's feel good in my soul. Good. I'm happy for you. Yeah, me too.

I feel like I'm one of the Phillies that signed this guy for a while because I think he's a veteran, I think he's a winner, and I think he's someone that would make this team better. Sign Michael Brantley to a one-year $8 million deal. Oh, yes!

Need him. He's a good player. He played left field in the playoffs last year. Not well. Dude, he's been a good player for a long time. All he does is hit. He goes up and just freaking smacks it all over the place.

And it's just like, late in the game it's you know I don't need the right hand bench bat because I have Trout now. So like it's more of a

luxury. Do you remember tangentially related to the Phillies in a way do you remember Michael Brantley the original guy

that started in Cleveland do you remember who he was traded for? Who was one of the centerpieces, one of two centerpieces. Oh, yeah. CC Sabathia to the Brewers, obviously, would lead into the playoffs. So long ago. Michael Brantley was a part of it.

Isn't that crazy? He was a part of that trade. Yeah. Obviously, he's been with the Astros forever. He's been in a million LCSs now because all he does is go to the LCS. Yeah, no, he's definitely got big moments. Big at bats. He's not going to million LCSs now because all he does is go to the LCS. He's got big moments, big at bats. He's not going to be afraid of the moment. So I think bringing in a guy like that, older, that's what I wanted last year.

He's like a better version of Andy Rosario, what I'm talking about. He's a better hitter. So it's what I wanted heading into the playoffs last year. I feel like they're a veteran. They need that veteran bench bat that I can trust in a big moment. Like Rosarioario that idea but brantley's a better hitter than had brantley been on the team last year he's probably batting for johan rojas in the fourth and then and then he can go pache and and play defense and stuff so

um i'm just bringing michael branley in give me give me a professional hitter yeah um i think it's a great call now this one all right this is actually my last move. Wow. I'm shocked. I know. I'm signing either Eric Fetty or... Eric Fetty crushing Japan. No, the KBO. KBO, excuse me,

in Korea, excuse me. I'm signing either Eric Fetty or Luis Severino for one year, 10 million. I need Seve. Hold up, hold up. You think Seve's gonna cost 10 million? Dude, he got like a 60 ERA 10 million. I need Seve. Hold up, hold up. You think Seve's

going to cost 10 million? Dude, he got like a 60 ERA last year. That's my point. Oh, I think it's too much? I think he's getting like one year, 5 million or something.

With all the injuries and all the stuff. I mean, not just, he was like the worst pitcher in baseball for a month this year. Come on down. I don't think he costs anywhere near 10 million.

Okay, whatever. I will never quit Seve. And Fetty is like that minimum contractor. I don't know. Off of Merrill Kelly. Didn't he win the Triple Crown there? Dude, he had a two ERA over there.

And more importantly, and why I won Eric Fetty, and for everyone listening to say. I mean, if you've listened to the IOs for a while, Jack asking to sign Eric Fetty. It's like the world is upside down right now. That's all I'm going to say. There was no pitcher i felt more confident in in the last five years he was the new volstead then the phillies destroying

eric fettier every bit there is no one i was like bet the over bet a harper home run they're going to smoke eric fettier no doubt smoke eric Fetty. He was the new Volstead for me. Remember how much they used to crush Chris Volstead? This is what I'm saying is I've heard all the Eric Fetty references on this podcast until now were about how much we crush him. That was it. That's how many times he's been brought up. Need him.

What happened? So the story is that- He changes mechanics, get a new pitch like what do you do over there so the net so the nationals never had uh you know high velocity or high speed cameras so he had no idea about pitch shapes or anything oh my god until organizational mismanagement organizational mismanagement went over there to the kbo nationals i mean they've been on top of the strassburg for sure um so like he apparently now understands everything about pitch shapes i looked at exactly one sinker from him and i said i don't need to see don't need to see anymore that's one

of the best thinkers i've ever seen um he figured it out he figured it out he's a first round pick also a vegas kid yeah um and i need him so it's great under the radar call by you on like so many levels the the the obviously lariat of it but i like the call yeah and shout out to robert or you know is that so he's good yeah i enjoy him um but you know me like i am such a sucker for this type of thing that the so and maybe it's a prisoner about this stuff now knows about it like yeah i'm in like that's the kind of i look whether it's a mechanical change whether it's a new pitch whether it's a new way of looking at how you pitch all type of stuff like i am a sucker for that and maybe i'm a prisoner of the moment because um i to watch Merrill Kelly in a game six shove against us.

And he figured it out over in the KBO. Speaking of that, I realized that I haven't changed my water bottle since game seven. You're still holding on. I'm holding on. Now we're on camera so people can see it. Shout out to Maureen from the works in the cafeteria upstairs. She is the one who gave us those bottles. Shout out to Maureen.

Big fan of the show. Love you, Maureen. I'm sure everyone's on board with my Eric Fetty pick. So Eric Fetty or Luis Severino. Like, Severino, I just, I don't think he'll be that bad. I don't think he'll cost a lot of money. He is crazy talented. He's crazy talented. Like, this is a

no, he's barely pitched since like... And he did have a real injury that caused him to miss miss a season of baseball. Bring him here. Bring him here. The talent's there. Luis Severino and Eric Fetty have completely gone. Would also consider Frankie Montaz.

An old dad's a staple of the perfect all-season back in the day. It really is. Frankie Montaz has been mentioned. Give me Seve fetty or frankie montas what are we doing that's my five no uh it's phenomenal work so uh wheeler yamamoto ranger chris sanchez severino slash fetty slash montas love it um the one thing there and i was trying to find someone else that could sign like a big but i don't i don't want to sign a guy for a six man rotation but like that's leaving myself a little bit bare on the back end

because he knows how long those guys are going to be able to stay healthy. Although, Fedde should be all right from that standpoint. He was reliably bad for the Nationals for a long time. So, never got hurt. He was consistently out there. Yeah, he was always out there. You're right. Lineup, Schwarber, Turner, Harper, Trouty, Stott, Boey stott boom jt marsh castellanos

it's the only way it makes sense i know it's the only way it makes sense uh bullpen estevez alvarado sir anthony kirkering strom soto hoffman i can't believe you added one one bullpen well because they don't need it i I know, but it's just so surprising. So, Fangraphs does the depth charts or whatever. Yeah, like they roster resource Fangraphs. Their relief pitcher was ranked number one.

The Phillies have the best bullpen in baseball. Unbelievable. How far we've gone. And they all throw hard. Estevez kind of cooled off towards the end of last year. He did, but he was really good early on. Yeah. So I have a top bullpen. I have Mike Trout.

And I have my new number two that's 25 years old. Very happy. I love it. Yours is way more realistic than mine. Mine's not going to happen. But I will give one other guy. And you said you've got some other options. I will say if I'm not training for Juan Soto and I don't get Mike Trout

or Mike Trout isn't traded, I do like the idea of Jorge Soler. Yeah. I don't think he's going to cost too much. I think he's maybe a four for 60 or somewhere that type of guy, maybe less than that even. But he's had so many big hits in so many big spots and he's the right handed power bat that you could stick out there like he's not a great fielder nope not good not even good we would say but like you know we talked about having that right hand and power bat and

if you if you're not as patient as you want but like the dude rakes if you flip castellanos this offseason bringing in soler makes a ton of sense. And then you can keep Martian left. Well, I would think you would move. If I did it, I would put Solaire in right, move Castie to left, and keep Martian center. Right. Or, yeah. But if you want to keep defense first, you could flip Castellanos and sign Solaire. I mean, having Solaire and Schwarber in the same lineup would just be hilarious.

That'd be fun, man. Oh, my God. It'd just be smoking baseball. I know. Just smoking baseball. And again, another dude who has consistently shown up in the playoffs when he's been there. And again, he's a World Series MVP.

No big deal. I mean, he's made it once in his career. He's on that Marlins team. He was smoking some balls. Well, not really. Not really. I guess Josh Bell was really smoking. Josh Bell.

I noticed he did not sign Josh Bell, which is disappointing. No, I couldn't do it. It feels wrong to sign Josh Bell. Can Josh Bell? Can no team sign Josh Bell, which is disappointing. No, I couldn't do it. It feels wrong to sign Josh Bell. Can Josh Bell... Can no team sign Josh Bell? That's my... Hey, you know what? I heard it's nice in the KBO.

Talk to Eric Fetty. Go play in the KBO. You'll cry. You win the MVP over there, Josh. No one... You might set records. No one signed Josh Bell. That's my official statement.

Please, no one sign. So other ideas that I had, and this would pain me, but I think it's probably what it would have to cost, is Aiden Miller, Justin Crawford, Christian McGowan for Dylan Cease. Oh, buddy. It would pain me. I mean, I would do that. I would probably do it.

I would do it. I'd probably do it. I would definitely do it. And, yeah, so you have Wheeler, Cease, Ranger. Yeah, that'll play. Yeah, that'll be good. Pretty good. I would be very in on that.

I would rather trade for Cease than Burns because I think you get him for cheaper. Yeah, and he's under contract for another year rather than Burns, which is just this year. And I think there's room to grow still with Dylan Cease. Two bullpen pieces. Daniel Hudson for one year, eight million. So I almost had Daniel Hudson on had daniel he's still good dude he's been on my list i think three perfect offs he's almost just threw him on there

he's always hurt will not be reliable but if you get in the postseason daniel hudson's healthy they're winning the world another yeah he had some big big moments too oh i'm an idiot i realized i forgot my Jesse Chavez. Oh, no. My number one target of the perfect offseason. Obviously, Jesse Chavez. Yeah, how could you? Number one target. That's hilarious.

Well, he can replace... Do the Jesse Chavez thing and then forget to include him in your perfect offseason. It's high level. He's going to take Dylan Covey's role. There you go. There you go. Jesse Chavez. There you go.

Please sign him. Yeah. Do you think that campaign is going to pick up on WIP? Yeah. Jesse Chavez. Or trout fishing. Like Hong for Jesse? Yeah.

Come on down. Come on down. I think trout fishing. Probably will work better. Probably has a better chance. Also, you know, I will say that the trout fishing thing with the pH, like it is, it does work. You know,

it's, it's, it's like a built in catchphrase. Thank you. Just very good. Were you the first to do that? Uh, I mean,

we were talking about it in meeting. I mean, I know I'm saying, were you the one who did it? Cause I know on the pod you said, and I was like, Oh no, we talked about it before.

Yeah. We were in a meeting and I was like, Oh, it was you. You came up with me and Rod and came up with it. Yeah. Did that just sound like it was actually I was like, Oh, it was you. You came up with me and Rod and came up with it. Yeah. Did that just sound like it was actually Rod? Well,

no, I came up with it and then we were going back and forth on names. Okay. And then he was like fishing for trout. I said, you got trout fishing. Sounds better. Yeah.

Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it. So Daniel Hudson, uh, and then Robert Stevenson, who was nasty for the, uh,

Robert Stevens is nasty. Would like him as well. Yeah. Bounce back Ryu. Hyunjin Ryu, this is an option. Why not? If we're looking for... I like him.

If we're looking for a fifth starter to replace Tylan Walker, I forgot to put him in there. Severino, Fetty, Montas, Ryu. This is like... Why don't we just... I mean, minus Fetty, just take us back four years. Perfect. We are locked in with these guys.

Might as well sign two of them because they're going to get hurt. I think that would be the move. And again, I don't think they would cost as much as you initially thought. So bring me in. And then if they want to, if they don't believe in, if they trade Rojas, Pache probably doesn't have the trade value. But if they do trade one of those guys, or both, not both of them them and they would like a defensive first center fielder that's still pretty good i mean harrison bader want to go glove another guy you've been trying to get here forever want to go glove i

know i love great defense center fielder his big home runs for the yankees a lot of familiar names yeah i like well listen man i i like my players yeah i do I do think, I think the draft visioning thing actually could happen. It should. I know. Like, I don't, I think there's almost no chance they will trade for Juan Soto. I would love it. I just don't see it happening.

I think there is a low chance that they will sign Yamamoto. I hope they do it. They just haven't been connected to him. Well, at least they're into him. They're into him. I think of all the stuff we talked outside, I have reliever moves and stuff. I think the trout thing, it it just it just makes sense like it just feels like that's what's

supposed to happen you know what i mean sure i mean it's supposed to happen is yeah i think it makes logical sense like i don't i don't know why trout would stay in la i don't know why the angels would want to keep paying him right now like i don't i think it makes sense for him to move on and when you take that first step it's like where else would he go who's one of them that would make perfect sense you know so i in his career here i it gets to keep his eagles tickets because we would take them from the narrative that i can follow if you know what i mean yes good i'm proud of you um yeah it's it feels like it's time. And I just think that if Bryce Harper calls him and he says, Mike, come on. Come on. It'll be both of our teams.

Mike will be like, you need to give me your team. Why don't we go and put my head down and play baseball? Let me just go play. Put my head down and play. Exactly. Go to some Eagles games. Yeah. Honestly, that's what they mean.

It might be Bryce time. Bryce might have to Eagles games. Yeah. So, like, I did. Honestly, that's, I mean, if they really. It might be Bryce time. Like, Bryce might have to start recruiting. Okay. Why don't we use our resources here? Get Jalen Hurts to call him. Get Nick Sirianni to call him. Like, this guy clearly cares about the Eagles more than anything else. Like, use some resources here.

Kelsey. Get Jason Kelsey on the phone. Yes. Get Carson. If he's in LA, I think it's actually a bad idea. Oh, if we're going to hang out. Yeah.

You think they're going to hang out? We'll probably have dinner. Yeah. Yeah, it's something that I think if you talk your way through it more. Is the injuries there? Yes. Is the contract big?

Yeah. But you can find ways to get off some of that money if you need to. And who knows how much the Angels are willing to pay if you want to give them more prospects. So where it's like, you know, it's like like if they can get it down seven years 200 million dollars for mike trout is that not a win yeah so i and again i'm i'm still nervous about it

i'm still not fully on board but i will say i think the best argument for it is just getting him out of out of that organization like it's really, seriously, though, it's, like, really hard to judge who you are and what you do when you're with the Angels because it's a trash organization where they get the least out of their players. And they, I mean, again, I don't know enough to,

I've not dove deep on it, but I would guess they're probably worse at keeping their players healthy. They're probably worse at managing injuries. Because they're worse at all this stuff. So I think getting him into a top flight organization, I can't believe I'm saying it out of the Phillies, but that's where we are.

I think that's the thing that makes me most hopeful about him. Come on down, Mike. Come on home. Welcome home. Come on home, Mike. It's time, pal. It's time. It's 100% time. It would be hilarious. It'd be amazing. Plus, Nola left, so 27's open.

Oh. Just saying. I left, so 27's open. Oh. Oh. Just saying. I didn't even think about that. Just saying. You don't think they retired 27? No, I don't. No, I don't.

I don't. Nola's definitely gone, right? I think he's gone. Yeah. Do you think he's going to go to the break? I still think he's going to be a Cardinal. You've said that for a while. I still think he's going to be a Cardinal.

The wife being from Georgia thing. Yeah. I mean, yeah. It would be weird. It'd be very weird to see Aaron Nola on the Braves. I'm not going to be... I wouldn't be scared of Nola on the Braves at all. But they would go...

They probably went 120 regular season games. Free Strider Nola is a pretty nasty one. It would just suck more like more than anything. I wouldn't be terrified of it. I don't want to be annoyed at Aaron. Exactly. I don't want to be like, bleep you, Aaron. Really?

Like of all the teams, go to 28 other teams. Just don't pick that one. He goes with Kranitz and Kranitz gets him back to 2018 for him. Oh, I forgot the Kranitz thing too. He's going to the Braves. I think he's probably going to be a Brave. The more and more we think about it, he's probably going to be a Brave the more and more we think about it he's probably going to be a Brave I think it's Ben

because you know all these guys I know I know I know I'm just saying alright this was good

yeah I feel really good about this exercise except every time I think about the Phillies now I do still get mad I know I get sad

I don't get mad I get sad no I'm sorry I've reached the mad it's good I'm proud of you I just get mad. I get sad. No, I'm sorry. I've reached the mad. Good. I'm mad at you. I just get like, ah. Yeah.

Oh, sorry. It's right there. It's right there. It was right there. Right in front of us. Yeah. Taste it. Mm-hmm.

Yep. It's okay. The good part is it's really easy to get back. Yeah, no problem. Yeah. I mean, history says we should have no problem winning one. It's why they need Mike Trout. It's why it's time to go Trout.

Oh, buddy. All right. You got any final thoughts? Yeah. You do? I do. I do. Oh, my God.

You are just shocking me all over the place today. I'm loving it. I. Rob Thompson cannot miss the bell. That was really bad. I mean. I wasn't going to bring it up because I didn't want to do our guy dirty come on rob i mean that was it was bad it was bad and then and because now if they miss the playoffs next year or they don't make the world series that's

just gonna be a gif oh yeah dude honestly it's gonna be anytime he screws up it's gonna be that yeah so i would like it scrubbed from the internet, deleted, and redo it. Yeah. I think it's a great goal. And don't try to take a baseball swing at it. Yeah, well, that was his problem. What are you doing? It's like, dude, it's a bell.

Just tap it. Just hit it. A little like that. Just hit it. You went two hands. You can't go two hands. Like, just boom, one hand. You're not going to break the bell.

I know. You're not going break the bell you're not gonna create the new liberty bell rob okay yeah there's no crack you really went for it yeah i appreciate going for it yeah make contact yeah what are we doing yeah i'm with you thank you i'm with you i think we might be living in a simulation i've never been a big simulation guy welcome aboard buddy i wasn't before either but i'm starting to starting to come around and our buddy spike asking big simulation guy just kidding but i hear i hear the same lady gaga song every time i stop at the wawa on my way in here it's weird it's every day yeah it's every day so do you go at the same time it's around the same time but it's not every day the same time okay that's really weird is it. But it's not every day at the same time. Okay, that's really weird. Is it literally every day?

Dude, it's every time I'm there. So I'm probably stopping that Wawa three times a week. And it's every time? Always the same lady got a Wawa. No, that's really weird. It's always playing in the gas area

so maybe like no one's out there listening. Oh, I guess it could be they have a loop of like three songs that play and you just want to catch it.

But it's always that song. Yeah, I like this. Always that song. I like this. This is a good reason for simulation. Something's up. Well, so whenever I. Always that song. I like this. This is a good reason for simulation. Something's up. Well, so whenever...

At the Wawa. Whenever these things... I like to call it the universe winking at us, which is probably simulation. Whenever these things where you'll be talking with your wife about... And not if your phone does it, because we all know these things listen to you. But if you're talking about a song you haven't heard in forever,

years, but you get in the car and it's the first song on the radio like that stuff i'm always like all right i know what's going on but like that was really weird you know so yeah i'm with you i i'm i'm open it just drives because every time i get out of the car i'm like am i gonna hear it today yeah and i think and then i'm always like i don't hear it and then there it is yeah drives me nuts weird i like it i don't know if. And then there it is. Yeah. Drives me nuts. Weird. I like it. I don't know if we talked about this on this podcast before.

I think we talked about it not on the podcast, but I've been thinking about it a lot. It's kind of like a take, I didn't even go to take back, so it was kind of like a take back. It was a take back. I forgot about take back.

Perfect off season. I wrapped up in it. Do you think that in your lifetime you will see a different ballpark besides Citizens Bank Park? This is a great question okay because i hope not like i think it has a chance to be like a wriggly type ballpark uh so like i'd say yes you know it seems like there are not many say like let's say hopefully i live to like a nice old age you know not likely but possible um actually i'm pretty old already actually now i think about it like will there be a new ballpark

in the next 50 years or 40 years probably like 15 years 20 years uh no you're right i probably won't see another ballpark i think citizens bank is what i'm getting i i just i don't want another ballpark i'm good with it yeah i, I know. Well, yeah, everything. Everything. My problem with all these modern stadiums is that they've gotten too fancy to where it really kills the crowd noise and kills what makes these ballparks special. Like Citizen Bank Park was at the end of the Camden Yards and like all of these. So it's a great take.

I just I don't ever really want another ballpark. I want to when I eventually pass. I want to, when I eventually pass, I want Citizens Bank Park to be the only Phillies park I know. Wow, that makes me feel old. I wonder if they're ever going to change the name. Because I've seen another Phillies ballpark in my lifetime. This is my second park. Correct.

If Citizens Bank, for some reason, would go under, they're also not allowed to change the name either. They would, and I hate that. They 100% would. I would then And I hate that. A hundred percent. I would then vote for a new ballpark. That's what I mean. Like that's the problem. It has to be a citizen's bank.

It has to say CBP. Which would bother you more changing CBP or the link? Oh, I mean, CBP by far. The link is like, they could make a new link tomorrow. No,

I'm talking about the name though. Oh, don't care about that as much either. It's CBP for sure. Like the link is fine. Like it's a good name. Don't get me wrong. I like the link'm talking about the name though. Oh, don't care about that as much either. It's CBP for sure. Like the link is fine. Like it's a good name. Don't get me wrong. I like the link that we have this shortened,

but like it's not like Lincoln Financial Field. Like it doesn't do that much for me. Like obviously aesthetically, like I actually would love a New Eagle Stadium. I think the link is blah. Yeah, it's very blah. But it's hard to make a football stadium like not blah. Yeah, well do what they,

like that Germany stadium you see that with the retractable dome. Do something cool like that. No, but we can't. I don't want a dome here. do what they like that germany stadium you see that with the retractable dome do something cool like that no but we can't i don't want to dome here i'm saying like that type of like there is there is new technology that that i'm in on for stadiums if it's football plus we can't let elliot win that's like no no no no cannot win football weather what was your favorite iteration of the wells fargo center was were you a covia center guy the first union center guy f you i mean being able to call it the FU was the funnest. I'm a Spectrum guy. The whole new stuff. So old school. I'm the Spectrum.

That's where I watched the Phantoms win the 0-4 Calder Cup. That's where I went to my first hockey game. That's where I went to my first basketball game. That's where I saw fish play back in the day. What? Come on. The Spectrum is my place. I was the first Union Center guy. Yeah. I did like calling it the FU Center place I was the first union center guy yeah I did like calling

it the FU center I mean that's very childish for you the age I was at when it was the FU center it worked well it was right in my

wheelhouse at that moment yes and the final thing here is that the the A's are officially moving to Las Vegas I know

I announced today unanimous but they have that guy three years they have three years. They have three years of not having a home ballpark. One. Bring them home to Philly.

Bring them home. They can play in the River Shark Stadium. Oh, I love this idea. Come on, man. Philadelphia's for a few years. Let's go. Bring them back, man. I love this idea. Bring them back. He's Connie Mack from the dead and they all over again be amazing one year jimmy fox three years three years of the of the philadelphia again when you need him yeah

bring them all home uh cockram where's he at and then they never leave and then we got two baseball teams here and then there's a knockoff high hopes for about the a's and we have a divided city and then we have debates as to who's better um the A's still have the most titles in Philadelphia history, right? It's awesome. It's good stuff. Like handily. I think they won like five or something. Great.

Awesome. But yeah, find a home for the A's. Let them play here. Bring them home. I love this idea. This is my favorite thing you've said all pod. Bring the A's home. There would be nothing funnier than the A's, and it probably won't happen,

than the A's winning the World Series in these next three years. Where would the parade go? Probably won't happen. Don't want to listen. To be fair, the Texas Rangers are at 102 losses a couple years ago. They also bought their way to a title.

The owner cares. John Fisher is not winning anything, period, until he's in Las Vegas. Let's say they win the World Series. Are they playing some games like Oracle Park? cares. Like, yeah, John Fisher is not winning anything, period, until he's in Las Vegas. But like, all right, let's say they win the World Series. They're playing some games like Oracle Park. Just a hypothetical, yeah.

Where's the parade? It's a great place. They would not have it in Oakland, I would not think. No, no. Would they have it in San Francisco? No, because-

I don't think they'd have a parade. I think they just, like a little celebration at the ballpark or something. Have it in Philadelphia. Would that count as a Philadelphia title if the A's win the next three years?

Hey, buddy, we're not getting anything else. I'll take it. Yeah, we are. I'll take whatever title I can get. Yeah, we are. We're close. Have it in Philadelphia. Would that count as a Philadelphia title if the A's win the next three years? Hey, buddy, we're not getting anything else. I'll take it. Yeah, we are. I'll take whatever title I can get. Yeah, we are. We're close. We're getting there.

We're getting there. So yeah, bring the A's home. I love this. Do we title the pod Perfect Offseason or bring the A's home? I know. Perfect Offseason is bringing the A's home. I agree.

What do we want most this offseason? The A's coming home. Yeah. Love that you went there. It was really good work, right? Thanks, buddy. the A's home. I agree. What do we want most of the golf season? The A's. Coming up. Love that you went there. It was really good work. My grandfather's favorite. I grew up with stories of the Philadelphia A's. My grandfather was a Philadelphia A's fan. Al Simmons. Foot in the bucket. He used to call him foot in the bucket

because when he would bat, he would step backwards and hit. It's a really weird move. Kind of take a step back with his foot in the bucket they used to call it. Isn't that weird? no wonder no one could hit you know we didn't get these moderate advances guys like uh yeah that's out foot in the butt and now that's what my grandfather told me he might have been lying yeah again that's what i grew up with i'll flip in the bucket so it's a lot of uh tall tales you know it's a lot of tall tales we do here yeah uh all right we're good we're good you gotta go do prep oh if anyone by the way that is something i was gonna say if anyone listens to this right away to the people? We're good. You got to go do prep. Oh, if anyone... By the way, that is something...

I was going to say, if anyone listens to this right away, to the people who listen right away, because we got Joe and Diddy in comments. I didn't think people could actually finish the podcast. Yeah, it was very fast. Joe and Diddy in his immediate... Now it was six minutes into the podcast.

Right, true. But still, the point is, people were listening quickly, so people will listen quickly to you people. Jack's hosting the afternoon show today. Check it out. And tomorrow. And tomorrow.

What? Big time. Love it. Are you hosting the afternoon show today. Check it out. And tomorrow. And tomorrow. What? Big time. Love it. Are you convinced the Eagles are a Super Bowl team? 2-1-5-5-9-2-9. Are you convinced of it? Do you really think that? Or do you need this run to believe that they're actually, actually a great team?

2-1-5-5-9-2-9-4. Here's your preview. Maybe I'll sneak a little Philly stock in for you. Of course. Of course. Got to. All right. So no final thought. Obviously, it sneak a little Philly stock in for you. Of course. No final thought, obviously. It was a take back. Bring the A's home.

I think that's my final thought, too. Bring the A's home. I'm willing to give away my whole perfect offseason to have the A's playing in Camden. Canada River Sharks. I think the stadium is still there. I'm not sure it is. Campbell Field? You know what? Build a stadium for them. The A's home. We'll call it

Scheib 2. How about this? Build it where the Sixers Arena is going to be. And then they can transition over into the Sixers Arena. Sixers have been fun. I'm happy I don't have to talk about them today, though. Oh, wait. I already did all day. All right. Good times. It's true. Yeah. All right. Always normal.

Always normal. Always normal. It's always... It's always normal yeah it's always it's never something it's always okay like our fillies there's never a problem how about that like

but we could say that now and it's true what a beautiful thing yeah go fillies thank you John thank you Dave there might be a special guest

yeah which would be awesome and maybe his name was mentioned at some point during this podcast that's what I'll say yeah all right um we'll be back next week potentially with a special guest until i think you're the friar our guy tucker bagley doing a great job maybe he will

put in a drum roll he probably won't but either way i appreciate him we appreciate him and uh we'll be back next week until Until then, peace, friends, and shelter.