Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - Jerry Dipoto's Comments About the State of the Mariners Are Frustratingly Disingenuous

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto spoke with the local media via Zoom on Monday and his comments about the team's inactive offseason and the state of its offense have not gone over well with fans. Ty and Colby react to Dipoto's statements and offer their thoughts. Additionally, Troy Taylor is set to miss the start of Spring Training with a lat strain while the Mariners have set an optimistic timeline for Matt Brash to return to action. And with rumors swirling about Alex Bregman and the Cubs, could Nico Hoerner be available again? Check out our Patreon!Follow the show on Twitter: @LO_Mariners | @TyDaneGonzalez | @CPat11Follow the show on Bluesky: @lockedonmariners | @tdg | @mlbcolbySupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelSuper Bowl 59 is here, And there’s no better way to make every play more exciting than with FanDuel Sportsbook. New customers can bet just FIVE DOLLARS, and if you win, you’ll score TWO HUNDRED BUCKS in Bonus Bets. Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started.  Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of Super Bowl Fifty-Nine. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jerry Depoto spoke with the media on Monday. Take a wild guess how that went. Let's talk about it. Colby, hit it. You are Locked-on Mariners. Your daily Seattle Mariners podcast. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Ahoy, Sailors.

It is Wednesday, February 5th, 2025. This is Tiding Gazzalus and Colby Patnode for the Lockdown Marys. Podcasts, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. On today's show, Jerry DePon. Hoto spoke with the media Monday afternoon. There were a couple important notes about the bullpen that will go over. But he also had some things to say about this quiet offseason and the Mariners' offense that weren't, let's say, great. So we're going to talk about all that, plus some Nico Horner as well.

But before we do, quick shout out to our title sponsor today. GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, and use the promo code locked on MLB. That's LOC K-E-D-O-N-M-L-B for $20. off your first purchase. And if you want to hear from me and Colby even more and help support the show, check out our Patreon. All you have to do to check that out is click the link in the description of this episode.

So let's just hop right into it. Let's just get into the big quote from Jerry DePoto's media gathering on Monday, which was via Zoom. This quote is making the rounds on social media or has been making the rounds over the last couple days. This is courtesy of Adam Jude. The quote says, I think there's the reality of our offense and then the perception of our offense. We play in a tough ballpark to hit in. Our offense has generally been above average based on advanced metrics, WRC plus, things like that, for a number of years now.

The last three years, we've actually had a very stable offense, particularly good on the road. I think one of the top 10 in MLB when we're on the road. And at home, we play in a tough run scoring environment that really benefits, our pitching staff and position players have been asked to find ways and we've generally done that. We've turned it into one of the best home records. We have a good offensive team and we didn't feel like we needed to do a whole lot but to find ways to support the group that we had. And I know the offseason has been long and seemingly slow. We feel, and I said this at season's end, we do feel like we made a lot of progress

late last year. So a lot to unpack here. Let's first talk about what we're what he said about the offense, particularly over the last three years. Okay. Yes. Your offense has been top 10 in WRC plus over the last three years. I believe both on the road and at home. But why should I care about what this offense

looked like two years ago? Why should I care what it looked like in 2023? I mean, that 2022 team, Colby, correct me if I'm wrong, there's only five guys left from that offense. and one of them left for a year and then came back. That's Mitch Hanager. The others are Julio, Cal Raleigh, J.P. Crawford, Dillamore.

I think that's it. So why should I care about that? Why should I care about the 2023 offense? The only thing that I care about right now is what the 2024 offense did. And the 2024 offense got three people. fired last year. And the only reason that I care about that offense is because you're trying to run it back

with that offense essentially this upcoming season. You brought back Corey Polanco. You're essentially hoping that Donovan Solano is just what Justin Turner gave you in the second half. That's it. That's all you've done this offseason. Everyone else, except for Josh Rojas, is coming back. And Justin Turner, right?

But again, you're trying to essentially replicate Turner. So, Colby, you hear that quote from Jerry. What goes through your mind? It's frustrating that Jerry is trying to present a reality that is not a reality that we all watched play out for a majority of last year. It's the definition of gaslighting. He is trying to make us believe the version of events that he wants us. to believe and it's just not true Jerry like yeah the offense was pretty good for the last five weeks of last year I guess the other 21 weeks doesn't matter because the last five weeks were good and jerry

you had a top 10 offense last year probably would have been in the playoffs with your pitching even with the bullpen struggles you're probably in the playoffs with the top top 10 offense last year so you're saying you're starting pitching wasn't good enough by the way I want to add another thing right He wants to talk about WRC plus, right? Well, WRC plus is obviously going to be more favorable to you. You're going to have more leash because you play 81 games and the most offensive suppressive ballpark in the entire sport. Right.

It's, you know, if you play in an extreme hitters ballpark, WRC plus isn't going to be kind to you. It works the opposite way, too. You play in an extreme pitcher's ballpark, WRC plus is going to be a little bit more kind to you. So, yeah, it's just one of those things where it's like Jerry wants us to believe that what we all witnessed last year wasn't actually what we saw. It's an illusion and that he's just going to fix it and that we actually don't know what we're talking about. Like it comes off very condescending, very mansplaining type of stuff where it's like, you guys don't get it.

let me explain it for you so that you guys can, and I'll dumb it down for you so you guys can understand. It just comes off as, you know, it's like we get the frustration that Jerry must be feeling right now because, yeah, they were set up to fail. We talked about this all winter. They were set up to fail this winter, but they still did. They still failed. And this is the first winter where it just seemed like they lacked any creativity.

they lacked any aggression. And they just, they fell flat on their face. And they obviously, they misjudged the market again. And this just feels like Jerry is desperately trying to, uh, walk back and,

and try and like Monday morning quarterback the, the off season, uh, after he failed in it and try to make himself look good. And nobody's buying it, Jerry. We're not stupid. So,

um, it's just, it comes off as disingenuous and, and, and, just kind of like a big lie and nobody's interested in hearing it. Yeah, the downplaying of the off season and the needs that they have is especially just disingenuous. Straight up.

Like, Colby, you and I, we're not super connected, but we're connected. We heard some things this off season. We know what the Mariners were trying to accomplish, particularly around the winter meetings. we know that they were trying to get bigger and better things done. And they were trying to add impact. Like they were trying to add Nico Horner. They were potentially trying to angle to turn Luis Castillo into Nico Horner and Christian Walker. Those names are significantly more impactful than Donovan Solano and Jorge Polanco.

So this idea that, oh, our needs weren't even that great is a lot. Because we know that you tried to go out and add more impact. We know that you essentially acknowledge the fact that your roster as currently constructed, or at the time when it was constructed, you know, in December, wasn't good enough. And frankly, Donovan Solano and Jorge Polanco barely move the needle. And I'm a bit more optimistic than others, at least about the bat of Jorge Polanco. and we all know that I really like Donovan Salano, but let's be realistic here.

Those guys, again, barely move the needle for you from where you were. You are essentially in the same spot that you were in at the end of the 2024 season with this offense. So look, I get it. I know he has to spend this. We all expected it. It's part of his job. I can live with it.

I don't have to like it, but I can live with that. But he has to spend this. and obviously he's not going to bad mouth ownership. He's not going to trash the players that he did wind up bringing in. He's not going to trash the roster that they have in place. He's obviously not going to do anything like that. And nor should we expect him to do anything like that or hold him to that kind of standard because that's just the name of the game.

Every GM in baseball is going to do the same thing that essentially Jerry Depoto did on Monday. However, you would hope that at least some of them, would read the room a little bit better than Jerry did on Monday. Jerry obviously not particularly good at read in the room. But you would think, especially since the 54% press conference, which has led him to not speak to the media nearly as much as he used to, you would think that that would maybe, you know, teach him a lesson or two about how to address the fan base

and maybe even, you know, take some subtle shots, I don't. ownership or whatever. But no, again, it's this condescending tone that basically comes off as, well, you guys just don't get it. Our offense is actually, it's been pretty good over the last three years. Again, who cares what this offense looked like in 2022 and 2023? And the offense that we saw in 2024, abysmal. It was certainly better after the trade deadline. It was better after Scott's service was fired.

And it does seem like they are banking a lot on the offensive issues being a coaching issue and that they've rectified that by, you know, bringing in Edgar and hiring Kevin Siteser and Bobby Magadianas. But still, I know a lot of you are typing away at me, like going, well, what is he supposed to say? First and foremost, not that. Not what he said. Not in the way that he said it. if I was Jerry, I would just go, look, there were some avenues that we tried to go down. We fell short and the trade market didn't align in a way that we felt was favorable for our organization, but we feel good about the players that we did bring in and we feel good about where our roster is.

And he did say some of that. But again, you can eliminate the condescending tone, the whole like, well, you should actually, you know, give the offense credit where credit is due and all that stuff. you can eliminate that. Be a bit more honest. And look, you're still going to get criticized for it, but that's a lot better than what you said on Monday. It is. It's plain and simple.

Because I mean, look at this quote from Ryan Devish. Or, you know, via Ryan Divish. This is from Jerry, of course. Quote, it's been a pretty quiet offseason. And I think that's reflective of a team that didn't have a whole lot of holes to fill. You know, we feel great about our farm system. We feel great about the stability in our team. And we feel like our offense doesn't get it.

enough credit for the things that they do well. What did the 2024 offense do well? Look, they were pretty good in the final six weeks of the season. I'll give them that. Sure. Like Victor Rubless had a great year. Cal Raleigh had a great year. Sure.

Yes. But in general, on the whole, what the 2024 mariner's offense was best at, frankly, was getting people fired. So that's all I have on that. At the very least, the Band-Aid hit. has been ripped off of them ultimately spitting this. Now I'm at the point where, hey, let's just get into the games. I'm tired of talking about this offseason.

I'm tired of talking about this front office and the ownership group. I just want to watch some baseball. So let's get into some of the actual baseball things that Jerry had to say on Monday. Only a couple, particularly about the bullpen. Get into that in just a moment. But first, a reminder of this episode of the Lockdown Airs podcast is brought to you by price picks. The big game is almost here, and there's no better way to make it even more exciting than when prize picks the best place for daily fantasy sports. With over 10 million members and billions of winnings awarded, prize picks makes it fun and simple to get in on the action.

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Download the app today and use the promo code Locked-on MLB to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. That's promo code, LOC, KED, ON, MLB for $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Price Picks, run your game. And you're listening to the Locked-on Mariners podcast. So we've talked a lot about the bullpen this offseason. and the Marrers have put together an interesting pile of minor league arms,

but they haven't acquired a major league reliever this offseason so far. That need, and we feel that it is a pretty great need, we've talked about this a lot, has only become greater now with the news from Jerry on Monday that Troy Taylor suffered a latch strain during his off-season workouts and will not be ready for spring training. So look, you might be done adding position players, but you need to get on the phone and get yourself a major league reliever,

like an actual established dude. There's quite a few of them down in Miami that I think you should go after. But like, look, you're probably going to develop a guy or two out of thin air from this pile of arms that you have. Sure, because you've done it pretty much every single year. I'll give you that. But it would be nice for them to do essentially what they did last year when they went out and got Gregory Santos and they got Ryan Stannock,

go out and get yourself an actual established dude. Now, obviously, Santos and Stannick didn't work out great last year, but that doesn't mean you should, you know, not try again. And so, Coley, I know you have your eye on Miami. You want to talk about some of those guys or anyone else that might be, you know, available? Yeah. You know, there's four or five guys in that bullpen that make. sense and all of them are making less than $2 million, so you should be able to afford them.

There's Calvin Foshae, is that is, I believe you pronounce it Foshae. It is, it is Fosha. Yeah, he throws a lot of cutters coming off a pretty good year. Andrew Nardy is the big swing and miss guy, lefty, but ended the season on the aisle with some elbow issues, so a little sketchy. And he's a pre-arb lefty who strikes guys out. Like the Marlins are going to probably ask for something pretty significant there. Anthony Bender is the veteran of the group.

Pretty good reliever. You know, more of a seventh any type of guy. But, you know, you could definitely use some of that in your bullpen. And it could work into some high leverage spots as well. Those are kind of the three big ones. And there's, oh, Is it? Tonoco.

Yeah. Hazer's Tanoco. Yeah. He's pretty interesting arm as well. So there are actually quite a few guys in that Marlins bullpen that make a lot of sense. And the Marlins are a team that are taking prospects. And they don't need a good bullpen. They're going to lose 100 games.

No. So at some point they're going to trade from that bullpen. It's either going to be the soft season or at the deadline. So why not expedite that a little bit with them? Right. Yep. It's a no-brainer to me. Give Miami a call and get yourself a reliever. And obviously, the better, the better reliever you can get, you know, it's one less thing you have to worry about in July because at some point the Mariners are going to have to add to their bullpen one way or another. Additionally, DePoto said that they are still optimistic that Matt Brash will be back and ready for games by late April. He has yet to suffer any setbacks in his recovery. So we talked about this before. That is a very optimistic timeline for a guy that's coming off of the injury and surgery that he is.

He's not even a full year removed from that. This also interestingly contradicts what Dan Wilson said on the radio a couple days ago that Wilson expects brash back by midseason. Now, midseason could be a lot of different things that could be June. That could be the All-Star break. But I think it's safe to assume that that's later than late April. Right. So I don't know if that's necessarily concerning, but it's certainly noteworthy that Wilson and Depoto are not lining up on what Brash's actual timeline is.

But even if Brash gets back by late April and hey, I'm rooting for him to be back by late April. That would be awesome. be great for him. But if he is back or really, you know, whenever he gets back, even if it is at the All-Star break, still have to worry about what he's going to look like coming off of the surgery, coming off of the injury. And again, it's still going to be a very violent delivery. So there's always going to be the risk of re-injury.

Just feels like, and this ties into the conversation that we just had about going out and getting another reliever, it just feels like they're banking a lot. lot on Brash coming back, staying healthy, and being good and being essentially Matt Brash again right out of the gate. Yeah. It's way too optimistic for my liking. The bullpen is incredibly important, and it's particularly important when, you know, the offense is going to be, you know, below average when it comes to scoring run. Some of it because the offense just isn't that good. Some of it is because of the ballpark they're playing. So you're going to be in a lot of low-scoring games, particularly at Team Mobile Park.

And, you know, your offense isn't a team that's typically going to, you know, put a lot of hits together and score multiple runs against other teams' best relievers. So, yeah, a shutdown bullpen is pretty critical to the Mariners. And so, you know, just counting on a map rash to come back less than a year or about almost exactly a year to the day after you have this major surgery and be good right away. and that's not counting, you know, he's probably going to have a limited pitch count. He's probably not going to go back to, be able to go back to back days for a couple months. Like, you're banking a lot on Matt Brash and his elbow.

And that's, you know, that's a pretty scary proposition. Yeah. So, again, I would feel a lot better if the mayor has got on the phone and talk to the Marlins or really anyone else who is looking to trade an established Major League reliever. I would have liked to see them to have seen them in on the Ryan Brazier thing, but Brazier wound up going to the Cubs. But yeah, it would, again, I would feel a lot more confident in this bullpen if they just had one more kind of like six, seventh inning guy in tow to go along with what they have.

And I'm fairly optimistic about what they're going to get out of, you know, Gregory Santos. And, you know, we'll see if Colin Snyder can do it again. And obviously, Andre Spunios is a dog. but I said this, you know, before, like, I'd really like for them not to put as much on Andreas Munoz's shoulders as they did last year. I mean, for fricks' sake, they asked the guy to throw a five out save in the second game of the season. It's insane.

So I would like for them to take at least a little bit off of his plate this upcoming season. And the way that I think that they're going to do that is by bringing in a guy that's not in the organization right now. And again, I believe in their ability to develop, you know, another guy out of thin air.

Maybe that's Adonis Mendina. Maybe they finally get Shantaro Fujanami to throw strikes or Will Klein or whoever. But you can go out and out a guy for a couple million bucks on top of that. And hey, if you get that guy and you also hit on a Fujanami or someone like that,

awesome. Great. Cool. Yeah. You know, it's one thing that I was looking into the other day. there's a leverage index that VanGraphs uses that essentially puts in a value about how, you know,

high leverage situation is. One is considered average. Like that's just an average leverage spot. Below one is low leverage, you know, and then every point you go above is higher leverage. Munoz led the league in average leverage. average index at a little bit over two.

So nobody else was over two. And Munoz was at like 2.08. So Andres, not only did he have to get, not only did he get used a lot last year, basically every single time he went in there, like one mistake and he would lose the game. So, you know, taking that off of his plate a little bit too, having somebody else who can handle that.

know who was second on the Mariners in, you know, leverage index last year. Snyder? Ryan Stanick. That didn't go well. You need to do better. Santos is throwing. He's in Arizona already. He's 100% healthy.

So hopefully he can take some of that off your plate. But you need somebody else too. Yeah, absolutely. All right. Well, there's some rumblings out there that Alex Bregman might be close to signing and you know we heard astros GM Dana Brown speak about Breggman in the past tense yesterday so it seems that maybe that ship has sailed seems like maybe the Red Sox have shifted their attention to

Nolan Aeronado so process of elimination here It's looking like maybe the Cubs maybe the Tigers there was a report yesterday that the Cubs have made some sort of offer like a four-year offer to Breggman and they're trying to get that done here in the next couple days. So could that make Nico Horner available? Let's talk about it. Just a moment. But first, a reminder of this episode of the Lockdown-Ares podcast is once again brought

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But before we do, let's talk a little bit about Nico Horner. So amongst all of those quotes from Jerry DePoto, there was another one that kind of stood out. he said we did have some conversation around our pitchers particularly when there were so many phone calls coming in right around the time of the winter meetings but you know it was always our desire to get to opening day with the five i wonder how that quote will age if nico horner is suddenly available here in the next couple days because again there are some rumblings that alex bregman might be had into chicago and if that happens i mean we talked about this before they traded eosok parade

that they would like to get Matt Shaw some playing time in the infield. Maybe Nico Horner, who's not going to be ready for opening day, maybe he's available again. Apparently he was, or they were at least talking about him. Like they actually got fairly deep into trade conversations on a deal that would have involved Luis Castillo going to Chicago and Nico Warner going to Seattle around the winter meetings. Then all of a sudden, Dana Brown says, hey, we're shopping Kyle Tucker. And then the Cubs were like, well, Kyle Tucker's better than Louis Castillo.

Let's go do that. And then they traded Yosok Paredes for Tucker. And obviously that made Horner more important to them. But they signed Bregman. Okay. Maybe they're willing to listen on Horner again. So there's obviously the question of like, what would it take to get Horner?

It's probably still Luis Castillo. I mean, that's probably the only way it works for the mirrors financially at this point. because Horner is due $11.5 million this year. The other thing, too, is, like, the Cubs, who, you know, their owner has outright talked about payroll and has had some interesting quotes about that. Would they be willing to add more payroll on top of adding Bregman for whatever they would potentially sign them for?

Even though that Castillo would essentially be discounted because you're getting rid of the $11.5 million of Horner. A lot of questions there. But do you think that a Bregman signs of the Cubs that maybe were not past the Luis Castillo, Nico Horner saga, if you will? I think the thing to consider here is, is, you know, who replaces Luis Castillo? Javier Assad. I mean, at that point, what are you adding to Castillo?

to get a sod thrown in there. And what are you going to do with the $14 million? Because there's really nobody left on the market. Now you go trade somebody, trade for somebody and do that. So yeah, I think if Bregman signs with the Cubs, which I still think is a little bit unlikely. But if it happens, then Horner probably is available. And I think the Mariners, this is the. a new, like,

obsession with them. They've liked Horner for quite a few years now. And I do think that, you know, I do wonder how much of trying to trade Castillo was to get some money so you could sign Walker and all that stuff. That was rumored right around the same time. But,

yeah, it's interesting. Like, okay, let's, let's say, they say yes. And let's say,

you know, you have $10 million now that you didn't have before. And your infields now. set. You have Polanco at third. You have JP at short. You have Horner at second eventually. I mean, do you go spend the money on a first baseman and kind of push Rayleigh to the DH spot?

Do you, is there a number five? Is there still starting pitcher out there that's only going to cost you about 10 million bucks that you can go get? Do you spend it on a bullpen arm? You know, like how do you

replace Castillo would still be my biggest concern, but I do think that yeah, I do think that if Bregman were to sign with the Cubs, and if that made Nico Horner available, I think the mayors would be interested, and they would go back to the Cubs and try and figure out a deal that would make sense. But like you said, I think it would almost have to include Castillo, because the payroll alone makes it very difficult to land Horner as things sit right now, unless, you know, John Stanton is willing to give Jerry an extra $8 to $10 million,

and you could just trade prospects for Horner, which is what you should do. But yeah, I do think that they'll circle back if Bregman does indeed sign with the Cubs. So Justin Hollander is on 710 Seattle Sports right now. Seeing some quotes coming out from that via Casey Bellin, good friend. Quote, I've been on my phone all morning, but I would intend. that the roster going to spring training is mostly identical to what it looks like now

We also talked about the bullpen a couple of minutes ago and Hollander had something to say about that Quote I feel great about the bullpen I mostly feel great about the bullpen because Matt Brash is feeling great Interesting Yeah Hey, you know you mentioned like what else would they do with the money that they would say from Castillo the Orioles just signed Ramon Luriano

they signed Tyler O'Neill earlier in the off season they have you know Colton Kouser and Cedric Mullins Seconder Mullins could be a pretty good fit to essentially backfill that Luke Rayleigh role if Rayleigh is going to play most of his time

at first base this year be essentially the mayor's fourth outfielder he's making or he's owed $8.75 million or something like that this season. So right now as things stand financially, that wouldn't work for the mayor's, but if suddenly they get some money freed up,

I mean, if they don't get a pitcher back in the trade, you would think that they would then use that money on a pitcher. Of some kind, I don't know who. But hey, if they get a pitcher back and they got some money to spend, Ceder Mullins could be fun. So I don't know. We'll see.

I know, you know, other people are talking about, like, Hes and Kirstad, which, like, fine. I mean, he accomplishes something similar to what I just explained, but he's nowhere near. And that's an understatement. But he's nowhere near as impactful defensively or on the base pass as Cedric Mullins. But obviously, younger player, former, you know,

second overall pick in a draft, you know, the mayor is and Jerry loves that kind of pedigree. he's you know pre-arb all that stuff so cure said would be interesting for the marries but I really like the idea of Mullins in a vacuum for the Marys I think he would actually be a really good fit for what they need right now yeah Kirstad um interesting guy missed some time with illness and injury uh you know you wonder what that that looks like uh trade package wise You know, you try and think, is there like another, like, hype prospect who got off to kind of a slow start,

then kind of got blocked, who's been traded recently. I think Michael Bush kind of comes to mind. But I don't recall what Bush went for. I think he went for a couple of really solid, but not elite prospects. So I don't know what that looks like from Ameriator's equivalent, but I think if they could get Kirstad for,

that, you know, then I think they'd probably consider that. I don't know if that's Tapeed. I don't know if that's, you know, if it's Michael Arroyo, I don't know what type of range the headliner is for that deal. But I think that would be a pretty interesting avenue. And, you know, you could add a potential bat without increasing the payroll significantly. I think they'd probably be somewhat interested in that. With the Orioles, hard to say.

Yeah, the Cubs got Bush. and Yenzi Almonte for Jackson Ferris. That was the deal. Okay. So, yeah. So, I mean, Jerry did say on Monday that they are still open to adding more. Obviously, we know how much money they, or how little money they have to work with at this point. So that's obviously a very, very, very tight window to fit through.

But also Hollander saying that he's been on the phone this morning. So maybe they still have another acquisition or two in them. We'll see. Yeah. But, but yeah, I mean, it's always possible you get that spring training trade.

We saw one last year. You know, significant one. Yep. And then we saw a pretty significant one, like earlyish-in-the-season, the Urize deal. Right.

And there's still some, you know, big free agents out there who tip the scales one way or another for players that we know the Mariners have already talked about. Is Casas available all of a sudden if Aeronado goes to Red Sox, Nico Horner,

you know, if I don't know, if the Mets do resign Alonzo is Vantos available all of a sudden, blah, blah, blah. So if the Phillies get Aeronado, does their price on Bome go down? Could you sneak into a three-team deal

in the Aeronado case and give the Cardinals some of the prospects that, you know, some of these other teams probably don't want to give up for Aeronado and then you get a player back. Like there's still a lot of things they can do and should do and should explore. But just judging purely on this offseason, it doesn't seem like they're interested in trying to think outside the box at all. That is kind of interesting because there's been some rumblings about Nolan Aeronado this morning. I wonder if Hollander being on his phone this morning is maybe connected to that.

I don't know. Just throwing that out there. All right. Well, that's going to do it for our show. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Lockdown Marys podcast for Colby Patnode. I'm Tiding Gonzalez. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter at L0 underscore Marers.

You can follow me at Taday Gonzalez. Colby at C-PAT-11. We're also on Blue Sky. You can follow me at TDG, Colby at MLB Colby, and the show at Locked on Marrars. Have yourself a beautiful baseball day, and we'll see you next time. Peace.