High Hopes: A Phillies Podcast - THE J.T. REALMUTO EMERGENCY POD

Episode Date: January 26, 2021

James Seltzer and Jack Fritz react to the news that J.T. Realmuto has resigned with the Phillies. The guys discuss the contract, what it means for the team moving forward, what move is next, and much more. 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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This is the High Hopes Podcast. High Hopes! It's a bunch of baseball nerds talking about the Phillies on Radio.com and Sports Radio 94 WIP. Go! No! It is another edition of the High Hopes Podcast. Jack, I have three words for you.

We did it. We did it. JT, JT, JT, JT, JT, J T. Oh, what a day. What a day we are back. Speaker 0 1. That was good. Got me going a little bit there. Speaker 3 0 1. Come on. Let me come on. He's back. I mean, JT literally back one day after less than one day, less than 24 hours after the JT Romita is not coming here. Pod man. It's it's a, I don't want to say that that podcast was the reason it happened, but I also can't in good conscience say that it wasn't, You know what I'm saying, Jack? I just want to know what else we have to do.

I mean, no podcast is carrying this franchise on a back more than us. I mean, seriously. It's like, get on our backs and we'll lead you to the promised land. That's the offer that we're putting out there. I couldn't appreciate more Dave Dombrowski listening to yesterday's podcast and being duped into thinking that JT wasn't coming here. I like that he took that personally. I feel like Dave took the challenge personally of he's definitely coming here. And then, you know, bing, bang, boom, this thing's done.

A day later, five years, 115.5 just to make sure he got over the Joe Mauer number. So, like, listen, I don't we're not we're not a podcast likes to pat ourselves on the back, but never. No, no, not us. So not our thing. We would never do such a thing. Yeah. And and and boy, did I blow it on the afternoon show, James? I mean, just I heard a joke job. Yeah, it was it did I blow it on the afternoon show, James. I mean, just. I heard. It was a choke job. Yeah, it was a bad moment.

Such a choke job. Especially for you. I mean, of all people to choke like that. I mean. I don't know what to say. It was disappointing. I didn't have the celebration music ready. I didn't think it was coming. I thought we did the podcast yesterday.

I didn't think it would happen that fast. You know, they give us at least an extra day. But I pride myself on being the first one to get the information out there. And as soon as I saw it, I said, that's a legitimate source. And I got it out there. I didn't have the celebration music ready. And then I was kind of just speechless. I'm so excited that JT's back.

Yeah, look, we went into this off season knowing where the phillies are at knowing the issues you know obviously the way last season ended and then the press conference and then you know the whole search for the general manager and and ending up at dobrowski and all that and you know it's been some some dark times this offseason jack it hasn't been i don't know the most fun team to talk about as of late but if i could have just had one thing that that just had to happen this was like that that we absolutely needed to happen that that was just such an all-time no-brainer this has to happen it was this guy coming back. Like, you just couldn't let him go.

He couldn't leave. No, no. Like, for all the bad, like, it would be bad PR to let him go after he gave up 6-0 and yes. Oh, my God. I mean, yeah. Also, after your fan base on national television, you got the Fandemic crew out there, you know, I'm signing JT.

You got every, like, single the the guy hits the entire fan base is tweeting sign jt and oh yeah your star player is saying sign jt and making checks and then you sign rg bradley and he's saying sign jt like they again we said it a million times and it was true the entire time there was no other franchise in this sport that JT Romito was even close to as valuable to. Not even close. No, how happy do you think the Philly social media team is that they don't have to do the sign JT? I guess it's not officially. Biggest winners of the trade or of the signing, right?

Yeah, well, I guess. Yeah, and I guess that, you know, they haven't put out an official statement on it yet so I guess that's kind of you know whatever but I just if I was the Philly social media team I would be preparing a like we did it alright everyone get off our backs you don't have to write

every single time we post something to sign JT I mean if I was running Philly social media it would be I would be very petty about about the JT. I mean, if I was running Philly social media, it would be I'd be very petty about the JT signing. You? No. That would sort of character for you.

They could not let me run the Philly social media account because it would just be likes. It would be a disaster. I would just be like going through a liking spree of all the sign JT stuff. I know. I know. And you, it would be bad. You'd be trolling fans. It know. I know. I know. And it would be bad. You'd be trolling fans. It wouldn't be good.

No, yeah. It would be a disaster if I had the affiliate. And plus, I'd probably start leaking stuff. I'll start putting out eye emojis, like all that. You'd be like cheating. So who out there likes Anderson Simmons? Yeah. Interesting guy, right?

Yeah. Seems like a good move. Speaking really quick, before we get back into the whole jt uh discussion of it all uh mark is simian officially to the jays so seems like the uh the the shortstop market is starting to break and uh i think we're going to see andrew allen simmons sign here signing here shortly yeah we'll get to that we'll get to andrews and simmons because it does seem like that's almost a fait accompli. It seems like everything. At this point, I mean, Mark Feintan, I think it was, tweeted out just a little bit ago,

like the Phillies are shifting their attention to shirts up, specifically Andrelton Simmons. So, yeah, we'll get into Simmons later. Look at this team, James. I know. They're starting to come together. All right. All right. I got a lot to say.

All right. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's dive into it. First and foremost, we talked a little bit about it yesterday, but just on the face of All right. I got a lot to say. All right, let's do it. Let's do it. Let's dive into it. First and foremost, we talked a little bit about it yesterday, but just on the face of it, five years, 115, what are your thoughts on the contract and the player coming back here?

Great contract. It's the right years. I was worried, actually, they were going to get up to like six or seven years just to kind of spread out the money and all that stuff. But it seems like he really valued getting more AAV than Maurer. And, you know, it's good. It's good for him to do that. It helps the union out. They can use this as precedent.

I mean, the Maurer deal was how long ago? I mean, 2011, I want to say. Yeah, yeah, 2011. Or 2010, but a while ago. Yeah, well, it's been a while since a contract like this has been signed by a catcher. So it's good for that. Good for JT.

And really, I feel like this is just good for both sides. Because I don't think JT really had a robust market. I think the Phillies were the only team they were offering over $100 million. And yeah, it might seem like an overpay. But at the same time, getting the best catcher in the sport back, he's happy with the contract, he's able to set an AAV record and the Phillies didn't have to break the total bank to do it

it's almost like a win-win for both sides JT's camp gets to be happy that they broke an AAV record and the Phillies get to be happy that they get five years $115 million I'm not doing this stupid.5 at the end they signed for $115 million doesn't this whole thing remind you

of when freaking Papelbon signed and he asked for an extra $58 in his contract? It's not the same thing, but I was out on him at that moment. So it just feels like a really good contract. I don't think JT's coming back like,

I took such a pay cut to come back here and play for the Phillies. And from the Phillies standpoint, they didn't break the bank to bring back their best player. So it's a win-win for both sides. And I'm glad it's over and done with and we can get moving. Yeah, exactly. It was like the kind of anchor holding this whole offseason down. It's like we just get this done and then we can worry about other stuff.

And I think you nailed it. We talked about it before, but it really is. It is a win win for both sides, particularly, I think, for the Phillies, considering what and and look, I there's been a lot of give Matt Klintag his props. And look, we said the whole time I thought the Phillies were playing it right with the market. They were reading the market, right? But the biggest single reason by far that JT Romero got a five-year 110 million dollar contract is the pandemic. That is the biggest reason JT

Romero was looking for 200 million before everything went down. Now he would not have gotten that, but I think something like 6-150 or that type of deal was a lot more viable prior to the pandemic than after. So I do think the Phillies played it really well. I think they waited it out. They were patient. They were smart. They read the market right. And they gave him enough to be happy.

Well, you know, basically almost the minimum amount they could give him so he would be happy. Like that was the minimum amount. And I do think to your point though they like in reality might have been able to get him for less because i don't think there was another team out there bidding against them to that number but ultimately you're happy with that deal if you're the phillies jt's happy enough with the deal and the biggest thing is that it's five years i mean once you get six seven i mean honestly ideally you're looking for like four

right with this guy. But a five-year deal, you assume that maybe that last year he's not a top-tier player. But if he could be the JT we know now for the next three years of the deal and, God willing, the fourth year of the deal, it's a good deal. Like, it's just a good deal. And honestly, I feel pretty good about him being a catcher and a good catcher at the age of 34. I know a lot of people get so concerned about catchers in their 30s getting big contracts and stuff like that. But, like, Yadier Molina has been catching forever. And he's 37.

And he's still getting it done. Like, it's not something that happens all the time where every catcher is just bad into their mid-30s. And JT, and we've talked about this a this a lot, he was late to getting into catching. 19 years old before he ever started catching. Right, he's got fresh knees, judging by his calves. That's a big deal. I mean, that's 18 years, not really, I guess. But let's say you start really catching at 7 or 8 or whatever, that's like a decade plus of wear and tear on your knees.

Plus, you factor in how great his calves are. And he's perfectly fine. And that's coming from the world's foremost calves guy, Jack factor in how great his calves are. He's perfectly fine. That's coming from the world's foremost calves guy in Jack Fritz. Me and Johnny Drama. Yes, I forgot about Johnny Drama. Yes, he's the fictional calves guy. You're the actual real life Johnny Drama. Yeah, so

I just think he's going to age fine. I don't think it's going to be this huge thing where it's like, oh, he's breaking down at age 34 like Posey did. You know, Posey was catching forever. I mean, Posey's catching at Florida State. He's catching in the pros.

He's catching to what, three World Series titles? Yeah, I was about to say, and also deep into seasons and years where those take a toll on you, those World Series runs physically, especially as a catcher, and. You do it three times. And as a fan base. It takes a toll on you as well as someone who went through this for five years. Must be tough. Sounds awful.

I think it's a great point there, Jack, the wear and tear thing. I really think it is something that sets him apart in this specific discussion. And also the fact that, look, a lot of his value comes from the, there's a lot of other stuff that he does outside of just the physical stuff, the way he calls a game, the way he handles a staff, the leadership perspective, all that stuff that the field general, like in a, in a perfect world on a baseball team,

your catcher is your field general. Like that's the guy who just runs the show and jt's that dude like in spades and soziati it's a perfect kind of comp from that perspective so i do think look you anytime you sign a 30 year old catcher to a five-year deal like you're going to worry about the back end of it you have to it's just the nature of the position and all that and and again a guy who who because of the position position and how brilliant he is at playing it, the vast majority of this $115 million contract, the value of that contract comes from the position he plays and how he plays it. Much more than his bat, as we've talked about, the bat for the position.

So it is one of those you get worried about because the value is all there. The moment he breaks down, it could go. But I'm really with you. I think of all 30-year-old catchers, if I had to bet on someone to last physically, this dude's a Haas, and he doesn't have the same wear and tear, and he's an athlete.

He's fast, he's in shape, all these types of things you look for. I just, again, I can't guarantee he's going to be good in that fifth year, but I'm optimistic about it, Jack, more so than I would be with most catchers signed at this age. Yeah, and honestly, the fifth year doesn't matter. You expected that. Exactly.

That was my point before. You're getting the value really in the first three to four years of this deal. Yes. Yeah. And a guy comparable to this in a way is a guy like Darren Dalton. And I think Darren Dalton was even more banged up than JT. I mean, Dutch is well known for how banged up he had been. Dude, in his age 35 season, he batted 263 with an 841 OPS.

It's not an automatic rule that guys fall off a cliff. And again, I don't think JT was as banged up as Dutch was by that point. So, yeah, I don't agree with a lot of people about giving a catcher the money. Now, seven years, I agree. I mean, seven years is a long time for a catcher, and I know the DH might be coming, and I know he can play first base,

like we talked about last night. I mean, you're signing him to this contract because of how great he is defensively, and he's also a great hitter for a catcher, not because he can be a DH or a first baseman down the down the road like you could do that to uh you know dispel or give him a break from catching but he's not going to be an alt you don't want him to be like an all-time dh yeah and also look i you don't sign a player because you signed bryce harvard this massive contract and you want to make Bryce happy, but it is a nice offshoot of this.

For Bryce coming here and all the promises that were made and all that, thank God they signed JT. I would have felt for all of us, but I would have felt particularly bad for Bryce Harper if they had let JT walk. Man, it feels like that was a blow that Harper couldn't handle. Well, I think I legitimately think it would have gotten ugly. I think so, too. I think like I think if JT left, like that's the first steps to a Bryce Harper demanding a trade type of thing coming down.

Yeah, I think if the Phillies went in this offseason and didn't do anything, we would have been looking at a Bryce Harper trade request. You know, if they if they started pinching pennies and didn't bring back JT and didn't really look to upgrade the roster, I mean, Bryce would have been inconsolable. By the way, speaking of Bryce, did you see his Instagram comment? Nah, what'd he say? He put up a post of him and JT and said QB won. So does he think that he's a better quarterback than Carson Wentz?

2-1-5-5-9-2-94-94. Well, I mean, who isn't a better quarterback than Carson Wentz? 2-1-5, 5-9-2, 94-94. Well, I mean, who isn't a better quarterback than Carson Wentz right now? JT definitely throws a nice football. There's no doubt about it. Well, that's the thing. Catchers throw, it's the same motion. Whereas if you're a shortstop, you're kind of throwing from the outside a little bit more. Like a catcher throws like a quarterback does up from the ear, you know?

Wow, look at you, Jamesy Mechanics. I didn't see that coming. Wow. I catch you off guard every once in a while. Sometimes I got to throw those in there. All right, let's spin it forward. JT is now signed. Thank God.

Thank God. Isn't that so refreshing? Honestly, I feel like a small part of me wasn't breathing and now it can breathe again like that's honestly what it feels like well dude dude it was pushed down and a weight got taken off and especially when you when you remember about six though like i since the season i haven't even let my honestly i haven't even let myself think about it like that asset because that's like i couldn't have handled it. Like now that you bring it up, like thank God you're right, but I couldn't handle that aspect of it.

Yeah, I know, because now the season's over, you're not seeing all the 6-0 stuff, although I did see the other day that he had like – he was up for what, like four starts, and he had the third most fastballs over 100 miles an hour last year. So we're not going to talk about that anymore. We're not talking about the 6.0 thing anymore. It's over.

We got Ivan Nova. We buried the lead, Jack. Oh, yes, yes, yes. The Ivan Nova emergency podcast. Ivan Nova is terrible. I hate that. I know it's a minor league contract, but it's 1.5 million if he makes it in the majors.

Like, why is this the guy you're taking a bet on? He stinks. Ivan Nova stinks. Yeah, as a guy who drafted him a couple times and expected the Ivan Nova breakout year, I base most of my feelings towards players on if they screwed me in fantasy. And Ivan Nova...

I feel like that's a good way to do it, man. Yeah, he screwed me a couple times i mean he'll never reach ian desmond level for me but ivan nova i've definitely bought into a couple times so super not pumped about the ivan nova signing and i like why why spend a million and a half on ivan nova like can we can we use it on maybe like that's my point like any reliever x or whoever like what are we doing here yeah no who cares jt's here yeah who cares jt's here jt all right so let's spin it forward jt is back we're set there so we've got like the the makings of like an actual baseball team what a what a fun thought um we are assuming

the andrelton simmons thing is going to happen like you mentioned before seven into the jays like it's either essentially the only three names we've heard attached are andrelton simmons thing is going to happen like you mentioned before seven into the jays like it's either essentially the only three names we've heard attached are andrelton simmons dd gregorius and freddie galvis can you believe it or not awesome uh but but from all the tea leaves are you just assuming that like later this week we're going to hear that andrew simmons is a philly i would like to propose james that this is the official Andrew Allen Simmons is not going to be a Philly podcast. I think that's a good move. Boy, this is going to be a long podcast title for you. It's going to be the JT Real Mutual Emergency Podcast

slash Yvonne Nova Emergency Podcast slash Andrew Allen Simmons Never Coming Here podcast. Maybe it'll be one of those things that actually isn't written out, but the real ones know. Yes. FanDuel Casino's exclusive live dealer studio has your chance at the number one feeling winning which beats even the 27th best feeling saying i do who wants this last parachute i do enjoy the number one feeling winning in an exciting live dealer studio exclusively on fanduel casino where winning is undefeated. 19-plus and physically located in Ontario.

Gambling problem? Call 1-866-531-2600 or visit connectsontario.ca. Please play responsibly. Yeah, so if I had to guess, I would say that Andrew Allen Simmons is going to get like one year, $8 million from the Phillies. So, yeah, listen, I'm excited about Andrew Allen Simmons. You know, people always talk about how he's, like, terrible offensively. Like, no, Freddie Galvis is terrible offensively.

That's what I was saying last show. Like, he's fine. He's an okay hitter. Yeah, if you look at his last five years averaged out, his average OPS plus is 97, which is three points below league average. Like, he's not going to wow you at the plate. But when you, and I said this last night

and I tweeted again today, when you have a starting staff of Eflin, Wheeler, and Nola, which are ground ball guys, you want the best defensive shortstop out there possible, and why not get the best ever? And if you're going to have Alec Boehm

play third base every day, why not have a guy that can range to his right as much as Andrew Allen Simmons can? I don't know if he can execute the jump throw quite like the goat derrick jeter but like i i think i think i think at least i think at least simmons helps alec bone a little bit from that standpoint of having the range and i i thought dd was great at everything like in front of him i didn't see the range i thought that we're going to get out of him last year. And Simmons is just in another class when it comes to another, like another hemisphere. That's the thing.

Like Philly's fans who have watched, you know, DD and then cigar the year before, like, and obviously Freddie's a good defensive short step, but even if you're remembering Freddie fondly thinking like after what we've had, wow,

Freddie was so good defensively. Like Andrelton's in another hemisphere from Freddie. Like it's just, it is so good. Like it's going to be a joy to watch this guy play defense. I Keith law once used the phrase, uh, fielding porn to describe Francisco Lindor.

And I think you could absolutely say that. And Andrelton Simmons did. Well, I don't acknowledge anything Keith Law says. I know, but it's a good line. It is. Porn's a good line. It is. It is a good line. Credit when due, Jack. Yeah, no, I'm just kidding. I have no problem with Keith Law, although I did not appreciate the questioning of Nick Bitsko.

Friend of the podcast. I know. I was just kidding. Just kidding. Didn't need to come at you with the Bitsco thing. Yeah. We're just talking some high school arms here, Keith. It's not that big of a deal. Hey, look, look.

In the end, the Phillies chose a high school arm. You won. He lost. Let the man live, Gary. Although he might have won because bits goes getting uh shoulder surgery but i saw but you can't predict that yeah well yeah who could have seen his point was the phillies aren't taking a high school arm yes that was the point yes um but yeah no but seriously like if you have simmons you have jc real amudo and and it seems like that they might still be in on

on jbj it might be hard now because it seems like the the funds are drying up in a sense um i guess they're what at about 180 million dollars after the yeah last i said was like 179 or somewhere in that range they've got about 25 million to play with 24 million to play with if they want to go up to and that's before simmons signing if they want to go up to the tax and you figure look they still need they're going to sign simmons let's say it's eight or nine million for a year you still need bullpen pieces like i i doubt they're going to do the same thing they did last year after what happened last year i know we already got archie but i think there's at least one or two more bullpen pieces like significant enough pieces coming um and then i mean you still could sign a starter, too, theoretically. I mean, right now, it's Ivan Nova or Vince Velasquez as your five starter.

I mean, like, I'd rather not, Jack, if those are my options. Well, that's what's annoying about the million and a half array of Von Nova. And that's what, yes, and that's what's annoying about, and let's be real, credit to the Phillies, credit right now, you know, JT did it and all that. But, like, in reality, like, what they should be doing is going all in on this team right now. I mean, if you're, what are you waiting to go over the luxury tax for? You've got JT in his prime. You got Bryce Harper in his prime. You got Zach Wheeler in his prime. You got Aaron Nola entering his prime. Like the group of guys you have here, like why not take a shot with them?

I'm not saying this is the best team ever and going all in is is gonna guarantee you anything but right now this team is not good enough like they're not they can make the playoffs they could have a little fun but they're not as good as the dodgers they're not as good as the the powerhouse type teams but a few extra moves like you had a couple real bullpen pieces you has a real starter you had a real center fielder all of a sudden like you're not as good but you can win a series fielder. All of a sudden, you're not as good, but you could win a series. You could get there. I do think, and they're not going to do it this offseason.

You hope that that's the plan for next offseason is to really go for it. But at a certain point, and we've ripped him for the luxury tax nonstop, and we don't know if he'll ever go for it. You believe he will. I hope he will. But they have a unit of guys in their prime right now here who are worth building around and worth taking a shot with, especially for a team that's been so long. So spend a little more money is what I think they should do.

They won't, not right now, but that's really what they should do. Well, and really, you need to maximize the JT contract because Bryce is here regardless. I mean, Bryce is here for the next 10 years. But you're also maximizing both the heart of the Bryce contract. You're absolutely right. And you maximize those things. You're two superstars. Yeah, and as you were talking, I was writing it down.

I mean, his contract is really interesting about the deferred money thing. They're not paying it all up front, so that does theoretically save them some money in the front of the contract so they can add to it, which is... For cash flow issues during the pandemic. Or for when Dombrowski leaves and he doesn't have to worry about the deferred contract. He leaves that for Sam Fole to worry about. But I do wonder...

Now, they have $300 million-plus players now, but it does seem like they want a one-year stopgap shortstop. Is that for Scott or is that for the shortstop class of 2022? I mean, you hope it's for the class next year, right? And I mean, it's a class. You know, and the New York already has Lindor in their building. You worry that he'll just stay there. You know, that's a concern with the class.

That's my guess. He will. But you hope it's for that you hope it's for that because again like to the point we're making you what's the point of having of giving jt all this money giving bryce all this money bringing wheeler in for all that money having these guys here and and not trying to maximize it like i just i don't understand it like why penny pinch now you know right well i know i i i get it i know i'm just talking but if theoretically theoretically this is the time you should be going all in i i that is my point and not spending a million and a half on the vandova yes exactly especially if you are going to penny pinch which it seems like you are and penny pinch a relative term like they're going up to luxury tax and stuff.

I know. They're not truly penny pitching compared to other teams. Some other teams. Listen, $180 million? They're probably on track to be at a top five payroll? John, we're getting close to jack territory. Yeah. How about spend the money wiser?

No, no. And then we don't get into this situation. No, stupid money. Stupid money. You know what? That is true. Stupid was was a prescient thing to say yeah by john middleton yeah um all right so so let's so anderton we think is going to happen soon forecast you know what do you think what do you expect them to do you know generally obviously you don't have to nail the names but like are they going to sign a center fielder are they going to go with hazley kingery quinn like

sagura second base kingery at second base what do you think the deal is there and are they going to add another starter i think we both agree they're going to add some bullpen pieces you know what do you see moving forward now well i think i have this feeling that they're going to they're going to either trade for ben attendee or sign JBJ to play center field. Obviously, Benintendi is not the greatest option in center field, but you're taking a chance on that bouncing back. So I think one of those guys will be in center field. I think they'll sign Shane Green.

I think he's going to be their last bullpen addition. All right. I like Shane Green. Yeah, I know. My problem with Shane Green is the peripherals just don't add up to the ERA. No, yeah, they don't. But he gets outs. When you watch him, he gets outs.

But I agree. He's not someone you watch and you're like, whoa, look at Shane Green. But he gets outs. I'm with you. It wouldn't be my top choice but shane green's fine yeah well i feel like reliever i feel expected they gotta add more than one reliever right i mean bradley shane green actor narris and junk is not enough uh it's not but i feel like we're i feel like after the shane green thing is going to turn into like

uh you know not i don't think it's gonna to be as bad. Couple million for this guy. Yeah. Couple million for this guy. Honestly, honestly, I would, I would sign Robertson back for like two mil or like a mil just because like, I don't know. I still don't think I can be a good pitcher. You know, he didn't, he didn't get back this year, but I, I still, I still like David Robertson and it's unfortunate he never got to really pan out here, but there, there, there are guys on the free agent market that they can get for like two million that could really help the bullpen it's not gonna be as bad

as a the the francisco liriano uh bud norris uh things as last year but i mean i i anticipate that's kind of the direction they're gonna go um and then i already said i said it last night i'll say it again i'm going to get lance mccullers here i don't know how I'm going to do it, but that's my last move for the Phillies this offseason is it's going to be Lance McCullers. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I promised High Hopes listeners that I will bring Lance McCullers here and I'm going to deliver on that promise.

I'm with you and support you and whatever you need, as I said. Whatever you need, I'm here for the Lance McCullers thing. Alright, we actually have a little breaking news on the pod. How about this oh yeah the results are in oh yeah there will be no hall of famers i know 2021 how about that uh kirk shilling was 71 percent of the vote bonds 60 61 lower than thought clemens 61 it's a shame those guys aren't going to get in. I mean, so I think everyone who's listened to this show before knows that I think Bonds and Clemens should be in, like,

absolutely 100% in the Hall of Fame. I've actually gone the other way on Chilling now. Like, I for a long time thought, oh, he's an asshole, but, you know, fine. You know, he's a great pitcher, and that's what matters. I actually don't want Curt Chilling in the hall of fame anymore he's he's such a a bleep bleep bleep bleep that i'm just i'm out i don't want that guy in the hall of fame that that guy does not deserve to be in the hall of fame like i don't care that it's not fit i am very strict i've always been very strict about like what you did in baseball is what matters to me were you a hall of fame baseball player then you should get

in kurt chilling was absolutely a hall of fame baseball player? Then you should get in. Curt Schilling was absolutely a Hall of Fame baseball player. And I don't want him in. It's the first time that's happened. Yeah, I had no interest. I don't want him. No, I don't. No, you just don't. No, you just don't want him representing baseball.

Ultimately. Exactly. So we also have more breaking news. Oh, look at this. I know. Wild pod. Freddie Galvis with the Orioles for a million and a half so i guess we don't have to worry about that one huh nope nope i mean should we just like

should we just keep recording until andrew allen simmons is signed i mean you could just consider this our version of the andrelton simmons is a philly pod because he's coming like this is happening yeah i mean it's happening unless dd takes a year which i don't think he's coming. This is happening. It's happening. Unless Didi takes a year, which I don't think he's going to do, it certainly seems like... I would love if Didi took a year. Actually, I wouldn't hate if he signed for multiple years, but it feels like it'll be Andrew Alton Simmons.

Yeah, just count this as the Andrew Alton Simmons is officially a Philly podcast because he's probably going to be a Philly. Yeah. Dombrowski's just trying to see how many pods he can get us to record in one week. I mean, I do appreciate he's a listener, but this is not exactly the easiest thing. He just loves the pods. Yeah, he's like, oh, I want to hear those guys again. He doesn't realize that you finish your show, you step right into the studio next, you don't get to go home.

finish your show you step right into the studio next all you don't get to go home I have to leave my wife and my daughter downstairs to come record in Zoe's room because it's here there's Ruben getting fired up like last time like it doesn't matter we're super happy to do it but like you know it's alright to take a day off yeah I mean spread them out

a little bit you know you did nothing you did nothing for two and a half months people are gonna get tired of us you know at least help us with the content. Spread out the content. Let us do it. Dave, I know you first off, come on the podcast.

We never said one bad thing about you. No, honestly, only amazing things. We were always Dombrowski guys. We were pitching that they would hire you and they listened. Yeah.

Yeah. So it's it'd be less appreciated come on the podcast. But just nailed the JT signing. He did. Look, this is again, pandemic, all the whatever the reasons all that stuff like the Phillies nailed this. The we are very critical of the Phillies when they do things that are deserving of being critical they nailed this they got the guy they had to have back and they got him at an incredibly fair price considering who he is and what he gives you

like that's a great job great job by the phillies great how about that sentence i know i just felt weird coming out of my mouth i know i know I know. Like it's, it's, it's been a struggle to get to this point, but it feels like we're here. It's just, it's just such a great day. It's like, it's so nice that the,

the worry of JT is like done. Like he's, he's here. Watch him play baseball. Yeah. That dude. We just love watching. Like we get to watch him every night.

That's awesome. I didn't even like, you know, honestly weird. You know, what's going to be weird though You know what's going to be weird, though, Jack, is that first home run or whatever of next season, grabbing your phone to tweet sign JT and then be like, oh, wait, I don't have to do that anymore.

I know. I've got to find some new material. I know. I know. I know. It's going to be tough. I mean, this offseason is just getting better and better. I mean, Simmons is probably coming.

JT is back. He's been a late bloomer. He's been a late bloomer. It's been a late bloomer. We're not resigning. It started rough. We're not resigning Freddie Galvis, which is great. I mean, everything is breaking our way. Archie Bradley is here.

Archie. Also, I mean, I put out. Not on this podcast with us, despite some Twitter buzz that that might happen. I put out the bat signal to come on the podcast and he did not respond, which is he put out a video, but he didn't respond to coming on the podcast, which is highly disappointing, but it's alright. I fully anticipate he'll come on the podcast.

So, yeah. I hope so. I believe it. Yes. So, I think that's all I got. You got anything else? I do have one more thing. James, and everyone listening, I need you's all I got. You got anything else? I do have one more thing. James and everyone listening, I need you to close your eyes and just take a walk with me into the future

because I saw this vision at about 3.30, and it was about 2022, and the High Hopes podcast is just continuing to dominate the market and um you know the phillies are finally starting to to make some noise and you know 2021 we're not sure with 2020 2022 is like all right the phil's phil's are fully arrived and i'm just taking you inside nlcs game one oh Rally towels are just exploding. The rally towels are going. So I'm going to take you to the seventh inning

because in the top of the seventh, Nola strikes out the side, and his last pitch is a two-seamer on the outside corner that JT frames so well that it's called strike three. It's called strike three it's called strike three Joe Buck heading into the break says we'll go to the bottom of the seventh right here in citizens bank park whatever they come back JT leads off hits a dinger into into into the the the rally towels everyone's jumping up and down everyone's going crazy and all you start to hear is JT JT, JT, JT

JT JT and he's getting serenaded in JT Real Amido chants and me and you are at the game obviously tearing up, bro hugging

and it's just And it is like, I mean, me and you are at the game, obviously tearing up, bro hugging. And it is just, it's just a euphoric experience as JT goes deep. And all of a sudden, Spank Park just starts breaking on in JT chants into the tune of T-O, T-O, T-O, T-O, but in JT-ness. What a beautiful image like i could see it in my mind's eye jack yeah can't you see nola i mean i know september just get this vaccine to everyone so we can all go back to citizens bank park please i mean please we need fans in the stands at citizens bank park we need it like we need air to breathe, Jack. And like, you know, I know September NOLA exists, and we don't talk about September NOLA on this podcast.

No, October NOLA is a whole different thing. Whole different thing. Whole different guy in October. Trust me. Just trust us. And I just can't get this vision out of my head of him just shoving in the postseason and walking off the mound after like a fastball on the outside corner the tails back in like a tailor made to right handers and joe buck like he like nola kind of strutting off the mound crowd going crazy and then jt going up and hitting

the dinger to jt chance i just it's it's i need it. I need it so bad. I can't wait. I can't wait till they're back in the postseason. Oh, Jack, what a beautiful thought, man. I'm so ready. Let's go.

Let's go. Just sign, sign some bullpen guys. And who knows, maybe we could sneak in this year, Jack, who knows? Expand the postseason.

Yeah, well, it might, we'll say shout out to the players for fighting back on that though respect appreciate it um all right you got any final thoughts jack i don't i don't what a happy day um i blew it on the air when it came to the the announcement you made it up here and ultimately i mean let's be real the j2 ramito signing announcement isn't happening on the air without you and without this podcast. So like, you know, a little leeway.

That's right. That's right. Happy day. Phillies fans, High Hopes listeners, we did it. And Phillies social media team, you can take a deep breath. You can steal it. You can take that one.

It's free. You got it. You can take a deep breath and you don't have to get berated with signed JT stuff anymore. To the Philly social media team, you guys did it. They signed JT.

You did it. Spread some salt to us here. All-star closer, Kenley Jansen. We have a question. We'll be right back. Passion is 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 BIB 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.