OverDrive - OverDrive - July 22, 2026 - Hour 2 - Steve Phillips

Episode Date: July 22, 2026

Join Bryan Hayes, Jonas Siegel and Keegan Matheson for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips joins the show to discuss George Springer and Kevin Gausman’s value in the trade market looks like, and if John Schneider needs to change his tune in the media. The guys play OverDrive arbitration, and discuss whether the Leafs are built like a playoff team coming into this season. The show wraps up with FanDuel Best Bets.

Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Hour 2 Overdrive continues, powered by Fanduel, bringing you more ways to play your game your way. Brian Hayes, Jonas Siegel, Kegan Matheson in here. Steve Phillips coming up in a few moments, a little arbitration later in the hour. Best Betts coming up.

I'm done betting bloody props not happening anymore I hope you haven't been well last night I sold myself on the idea of this guy finally not only hitting a home run

but hitting a moon shot because you can actually bet on that like 420 plus feet home run so yeah I convinced myself that when he gets one he's really going to turn on a ball you know

like if he gets a home run I don't think it's just going to like bloop over the wall. I think he's going to smack one. So I went down that road last night and it actually paid a lot. The only problem is it didn't happen. That's usually the main problem. It made sense. With a losing bet. Can I ask you guys a formula? Which slump do you think is the most painful to watch like in any sport? Like is it a goalie you can't stop the puck?

Is it a pitcher who just can't find the strike zone? Is it a hitter who's just like deep in it? Is it a quarterback who's like, man, like he's going to throw a pick at every time. I think, like, what is the worst? What else is the... It might be worse. A batterer might be a golfer maybe. A golfer with the yips is very difficult.

Like, if someone has, like, a short putting issue, it's very uncomfortable. I remember, like, Chuck Knoblock when he couldn't throw to first base, and it's like, ah, that's really... That's a legit mental block, though. That's not, like, performance. That's like he can't trigger his brain to throw the ball

the way he knows he can. A hitter's up there. Hitters. That's the one spot where the other guy makes the first move, and you can look real, real. But like, think of Vladdy flailing at those low and away sliders. That looks worse than a... And like you said, before, you can't try harder. Yeah.

I think there's something to a pitcher, a starting pitcher in particular that's really in a bad place, where it becomes like a watch party of... Yeah, who is... Remember Rick Ankeo? He kept throwing it. Got the Yips. Well, that was the Yips, but I'm talking of performance. Like, I thought you were going to say Ricky Rory. Marrow. Ricky was in that spot. When Ricky, when Ricky was having real command control,

he had every issue, it was very tough to watch because he, you know, I remember being on the air and being like, all right, Ricky's on a mount tonight. Like he hasn't gotten out of the second inning the last like five stars. Right. It was the same. Alex Mnoa a couple years ago. Manoa was exactly like that where you, you get to a point where you know it's going to be ugly. Yeah. And they haven't pitched in five days and this is their moment to finally turn it around in the first inning, you're like, man, a guy threw 32 pitches, gave up three runs. Like, this is big, big trouble. But, like, because a quarterback who's throwing picks, that is so explosively bad.

You know what I mean? Like, if you throw a pick, you can't play, you can't win. Where technically you can go to the bullpen, you can't do that in football. You're not going to the backup quarterback because the guy's going to throw a pick during the game. If he's down bad, he's down bad, but he's going to keep playing. because if he's that bad and he's still starting, the guy behind him stinks even worse.

Yeah, I'm thinking of like Zach Wilson, the jet. Yes, that was troubling. There's good and bad ways to throw interception. There's the Bradfar of way, which I would argue is real cool. The best. Gunslinger. Then there's like the petrified playoff to Sean Watson last year way where you are cowering and praying to God, those defenders get away from you so you just flail it.

Yeah. And so there's different ways to go about the business. Very different ways. That's a good question, though. The worst, like the most difficult process to watch a guy try to get himself out of. I think it's this. I think baseball's harder. Because it's just so you're just isolated up there.

You're like on a stage and everybody is watching. Yeah, you're not running plays. There's no teammate to bail. There's so much happening in football. Right? Like, you are the only guy they're looking at. And if you screw up, my God, you're the, and it's such a measured sport. Like, there's no way to hide from your struggles.

Yes. We are going to measure every single thing about it. I can tell you the angles at which Vladdy's bad is approaching the... We've measured too much, I'm afraid. But we can break down why a baseball player sucks, unlike any other sport in the world. Yeah. Why can't Vladdy figure that out?

Isn't that an alternative... That's a great question. I haven't been asked that this year, you know? Like, why can't he figure that out? I was telling Jonas before we came on here that I, like, whenever I'm stopped, everyone has that question. But there's never... It always comes second.

Hey, you know, Kegan, love you. on overdrive. What a tremendous program, et cetera, et cetera. And then always at the end, it comes with a lean-in. It's always, what's up with that guy? As if I've held this secret deep within me all year. I would sell that to the Blue Jays for so many millions of dollars if I had the answer. But I love the lean-in. And everyone does, there are a lot of people that believe they have the answer, right?

He's too aggressive. He's swinging at the first pitch too often. You've got to just sit back and wait for your pitch. Where his bat is, the angle, is he got to. bat too high is his front foot dropping the way it's supposed to drop. I don't know. I mean, there's obviously analysis to it. He's going through it. Popkins is going through it. I'm sure Schneider's involved in those meetings. I'm sure everyone in the organization. I wouldn't be shocked of Atkins and Shapiro popped in. Oh, totally. What the hell's going on? A lot of individuals wearing quarter zips.

Yes. A lot of quarter zips involved. In the process. You're going to hear a lot about is he hurt. I don't care. Go on the IL. I'm going to refuse that whole excuse cycle before we get into it at the You know, exactly. If you're hurt, hit the IL, this team can go without a 695 OPS for eight games. That is the reality. Like, if you take his name and contract out of it, he's hitting like eight in the lineup. Yeah.

Like, honestly, he'd be like, he wouldn't. It's tough. It's not good. All right. Steve Phillips coming up here in a moment. Again, the Red Sox winning today. Like, do they have enough, in your opinion to turn this incredible story into like an actual run? Isn't this classic Red Sox, too?

Just like the gritty, gritty. Pretty Red Sox. Yes. You know, no city loves that narrative like Boston. It fits the Red Sox more. You know, it never fit like Tom Brady. Shut up, no. But the Red Sox, with the injuries they've had, with their young stars, like Roman

Anthony and Marcelo Meyer, like these guys haven't been what they're supposed to be. And there are some veterans towards the ends of contracts. There are some one-year guys, some castoffs. And, I mean, they fired their manager. They fired Alex Corr, which I still think is a bonehead decision at the start of the year. worked out both doing it now they did it but man like to tie the longest winning streak in franchise history for a team that's been around for a million years i think 1946 is the last time they did this this is unbelievable man and and boston when it gets going like that is such a

special place man like if when it catches fire there there is something contagious about fenway park and those fans and that setting where when they get momentum on this It's one of those special places, man. And I don't know how they're doing it. I really don't, but now's the time for them to go out and buy, man, make a run. That's it. And we were talking about it off the air. Is that a spot that maybe Springer could fit in there?

I've seen some people write that and suggest it. And I've also seen people in Boston naturally, and I get it, looking at his numbers and saying, what are you getting from George Springer? But we also saw last year, it was such a remarkable year. World Series MVP. last year he had, in my opinion, the second, maybe third biggest hit in franchise history with what he did in game seven against Seattle.

There's still a big game player in there, I think, with George. And I don't know what the value would be. I don't know what you're getting back in return if you're the Blue Jays. I don't know how comfortable you are in trading him within the division, too, and the idea of watching Springer, if you're not going to get a great price, right? Like if they're kind of low-balling you a little bit, and you let George go and he sets Boston on fire

and they continue down this road. But it could happen this weekend. They're in Boston on Friday. There could be a scenario there where the old clubhouse shuffle before or after the game, because I know a number of people that are going down there this weekend. And again, I think the anticipation was, I'm going down there thinking that Jays will have won 15 in a row

in a red hot and the Red Sox of the worst team in the division. I guess we've got to go anyways. I guess we're going. And now you're going for the museum that is Fenway. and the atmosphere that is a Red Sox fan base when they're alive and well. And that's where they are right now. I can see Springer being such a fit there. Yeah.

I hate to. They traded Danny Jansen there, right? They're not scared. They've done it before. They've done it before. And I know the numbers aren't there, man, but I think once you activate George Springer, there's one more run left in that guy. Money matters too.

You know, what's Springer making this year? 25 mil. Yeah. But Evan Gossman's making. He's free after this year, right? which I think, again, you would think is an easier sell to try to meet your price. Totally. But they're taking that on, and that goes, so what's left of Springer at that point, 7-8-mill?

Does that impact whether you get an actual prospect or just a player to be named later, who is, you know, three months from now, we'll send you a list of a couple 17-year-olds down in our complex to pick from. I don't know if there's going to be much value, but maybe there's a bit of a value to getting out of 15 million bucks. Yeah. You know, I don't think there should be for an ownership. group like this, they've got enough. But if you can play with the money, that's an underrated factor in the deadline, how the Jays can play with money here.

They've done very well with that in the past. So look out for any of the cash considerations, dollar signs. Cash considerations could be something we hear a lot about the next week and a half. Is that what you're telling me? All right, let's bring in our TSM baseball inside. We're joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Here's Steve Phillips. What's happening, Steve?

Hey, guys, good to be with you. How are you? Yeah, we're doing well. unfortunately we're talking about the Jays being a seller here at the trade deadline, and we referenced George Springer. And, you know, George, his struggles this year, well documented. He's, you know, there's no pop in the bat. His numbers are way down.

He's 36. His contract's up at the end of the year. But he is a former World Series MVP. He is a guy that performed incredibly well last year, especially in the playoffs. If you're a team like Boston, a team like, I don't see Tampa necessarily, doing this. But one of the front-running teams in Major League Baseball, would you see value in acquiring a guy like George Springer? Yeah, I mean, you look at his postseason numbers. He's one of the best postseason players in history. I mean, he is a great postseason performer. The Chicago

White Sox should go after George Springer. They're young. They have very little experience in postseason play. They have very little experience about being in first place down the stretch. And so a guy like Springer would be huge for the White Sox to be able to nurture some of those young players right there, work them through it, talk to them through it. And so, yeah, I could absolutely see that he could be a factor for a team there. You know, the Phillies, I think, are looking for a right-handed bat. Now, they ideally need an outfield. There in Springer obviously hasn't brought a glove to the ballpark in weeks.

But, you know, if he could muster the energy to get out to the outfield a little bit, I think a right-handed bat there because Swarber is going to DH but getting a guy like Springer into a DH role would be a factor there. The White Sox can afford him in a DH role. I could see the guardians considering a guy like that. The twins if they think they want to go for it a little bit. So I think that there are some guys that have better numbers

but I think for that team that's looking for even if it's a platoon situation and a veteran leader, I could see Springer fitting for some clubs out there down the stretch. Steve, I feel like Kevin Gosman might kind of run parallel to George Springer, where it's an older veteran player, you're betting on can we get two more months out of this guy, being who they once were.

Do you see there being much of a market for someone like him coming off of a tough stretch? And do you think the teams out there will still believe that they can grab a number three, mid-rotation guy, a little cheaper? Yeah, so I think that as it stands today, if they wanted to sell, I think he would be, you know, well down the list. He's got probably two starts. I think there's 10 games before the 6 p.m. deadline on the third. He'll probably have two starts in there.

And, I mean, one, if he goes out there, he pitches great, then I think there will be some interest there that maybe whatever was going on, he's been able to overcome a little bit. If he gets a second start on the 31st and goes out there and deals and pitches well, then I think maybe you could see some more aggressive play on that. But his performance has been disappointing. It's one of the reasons why they are where they are right now. He's 0 and 6 in his last 10 starts with the 6.1 ERA.

I mean, it's been awful. And he doesn't seem to have an answer for it. So, you know, I think that, you know, somebody will probably take a chance on him, even if he doesn't pitch better. But I think that if they want to get anything in return, he's going to have to give them one really quality starter, two very good starts to get something back. continuing with that theme of starting pitchers, you know,

with the history veteran guys, Shane Bieber is a little bit different because of his, you know, most recent two seasons, basically, where he's coming off, you know, Tommy John last year. It took him a long time to get back into the lineup. Pitched okay in the playoffs this year. Took him a while to get back into the rotation. Hasn't been so great.

How do you, how could they possibly sell that, you know, if you're a respective GM out there, a guy like Bieber, his history, who he is, do you see a value, you see a market with a guy like Shane Beaver? Yeah, I think what you're selling is his last start was pretty good. And he'll need to have another good start. And at that point, it's just a matter of, you know what, he's shaking off the rust.

He just needed a couple outings to kind of get himself back on track again. Fastball velocity's backwards, Ben, when he was pitching his best back in Cleveland. He's never been an overpowering guy. The breaking stuff, the spin rate's out of it. You can spin, you know, if he gives you another good start, you could spin that the veteran guy down the stretch who when he missed time and came back off the engine of those last year did a nice job for the Jays more than serviceable job and I think that you could sell yeah he's missed time but he did that before and he was good when he came back so I think there's a way to do it but

again not a major return well Steve actually that's what I was curious about as a GM how do you decide whether the return is just worthwhile or do you just hang on to a guy like in a lot of these situations, it's all down years. So you're just not going to be getting back what you want. I mean, what's the line between let's just get something back or we just hold them? Yeah. If they're going to walk at the end of the year and their free agents in this, an expiring contract, trade them. Get what you can get. Cut your losses. Get what you can get. Get out from some of the money, go get prospects and return. And now, you know, my experience has been that whatever money you save by trading away veterans with expiring contracts, that money's

not really there for you next year. It just might cut your losses for this year a little bit. It's not like to say, oh, well, you know what you save $15 million. I'm going to put that on your payroll for next year. And again, we don't even know what the payroll is going to be for next year. But I think that if you've got expiring contracts and somebody wants them and you can get a dozen bats and balls, get them. You might as well do it. There's no sense holding on to somebody that you're not going to offer qualifying. offer if that's still in play in this next CBA, you know, they're not going to get Beaver qualifying offer. I don't know. You can give Gosman a qualifying offer right now going in the next season. And so I think

that because of that, you take what you can get. Steve, when you look at the Blue Jays now, and you have been behind these closed doors for teams that are having good years, frustrating years, and I'm really interested now by how John Schneider's handling the public messaging on this. He said, listen, I know you guys want me to get angry. Fans want me to get angry. It's not going to happen. And of course, what we hear there is much different than what he's telling players behind closed doors. But in this situation, do you

want your manager to be that steady calm presence? Or is there a time to get bleeped at the podium and throw some things for a manager? When does that come? Yeah, so I think that

I want him to be the steadying influence, but I think there's also a time when you flip over the table in the clubhouse with all the food on it and you throw a temper tantrum and you chew them up a little bit and spit them out. And then you go to the press conference and, you know, you just say, listen, you know, we have a little talk and, and, you know, I think the boys heard the message loud and clear. We'll see if it has any impact on it all.

If you have to say anything at all, if it leaks out that you, you know, you tore into it a little bit, then you can say, listen, I'm not going to talk about what happened in the clubhouse, but you can understand that, you know, we're pushing the guy. the best way we can. But I would think at some point that he needs to erupt. Behind closed doors, I don't want to publicly call out players and throw anybody under a bus. I don't think that works. I think you lose your team that way. But I think there's a way to do it in the clubhouse where the matches is clear. I love you. But Dog Nubba, you better get yourself going a little bit right now or

things are going to change around here in the future. Yeah, he's really trying to lay it on thick that it's not an effort issue. it's not a caring issue, so he just can't do it. Which I think the problem he's created there, Steve, or the corner he's backed himself into, is if he does blow up now, I think the first question would be if I'm Keegan Matheson down there is, okay, so who didn't give the effort that led to this?

Like, now that you've blown up, because last week when they were terrible, like they have been embarrassed the last two nights, like destroyed by Tampa, and he's coming out with the same message you want me to snap. I'm not going to do it. Not an effort thing. If he does snap tonight, then doesn't he have to give you an answer on who didn't give you the effort? Like if that's his explanation, I'm only going to snap if I don't like the effort.

Then if he does snap, he's got to explain who didn't give it to him. Right, right. It's not, it's a, you're right about that. And it would be a fair question to ask him 100%. I think that this is a results-based industry. This is a results-based, job. And yes, effort is critical, but I expect that. Like, if you're not giving me 100%, but at some point, you got to start making plays. And enough of the making errors and everything else, I patted you on the back. That part didn't work. I would have to leave open for myself different tools to be able to push buttons on players. And sometimes anger can get them going. And what you do, you may call out your veterans and say, call them in, spray them.

and Vladdy and say, boys, we've got to change something here. So understand, you're the leaders. I'm going to tear you up a little bit right now in front of the boys. And I need you to be able to handle it, take it, and use it to inspire everybody else. I think there's a way to do that with your veterans that, because once you do it to them, it impacts everybody else. Because if you're chewing up on Vlad Garrow and George Springer, then what do you think everybody else is feeling?

Like if Snyder's disappointed in those guys, that he's disappointed in me too. And I think players sometimes expect that. I remember some of the best butt-chewings that we ever got from minor league managers that were just unbelievable. Like I've seen them later. And I said, man, that speech you gave when I was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Like, I still have goosebumps about that one. He'll laugh about it. The manager, you know, Sam Peralo, longtime Major League coach.

He's, oh, my gosh, it was one of the greatest butt-chewins I've ever heard. But I've had every year a manager would give something to somebody flipping over the food table just to see if it could spark the team to get them going into direction. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't, but you've got to try something. Steve, if you're in the front office or the manager's office and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is on your team. Any star player, face of the franchise is on your team, sub 700 OPS, everything is going wrong. What do you want to see from them down the stretch? Do you want to see some of that frustration come out? similarly what do you look for or want to avoid seeing yeah i don't think players getting overly

like players are so hard on themselves as it is like their internal voices if people could see you know like in cartoons they have the bubble that pops up that shows what you're thinking if they could actually see what the guys were thinking about themselves you wouldn't believe how much they're beating themselves up and and so i don't want them to beat himself up more because that to me compounds the problem. It forces you to try harder and trying harder get you in a deeper hole. You start to do too much. You jump at the pitcher.

You're overthrowing. You're overcharging a ball in the outfield and it gets by. It just doesn't work to get on a guy to try harder. And so you've got to try to take the burden off of them. But I think that at some point a nudge here and there, if it's not working with the pat on the back and the hug, then I think a kick in the seat of the. the pants is okay. And I don't need Vladdy to throw a bat and get frustrated.

I don't need him to get thrown out of a game. But I've got to try something for him, to him, so that it can trigger something to get him going. So the Red Sox won again this afternoon. That's 15 wins in a row for the Boston Red Sox. What is the ceiling for them this season?

Yeah, I mean, they've kind of exceeded it right now. I mean, I like them coming into the year. and then they were so bad early on. They couldn't hit. And now, honestly, it's when the Scottish soccer fans showed up at Fenway Park. And the reason, and I say that, and it's funny, but I actually think there's some truth to it because all of a sudden they started to have fun.

You know, they were losing and they were down and they were hanging their head. Nobody was smiling. Then all of a sudden, they win some games. They're like, people are going crazy. And like, this is the greatest thing ever. And then it kind of reinforces that fun and the behavior. And then the more you produce, the more you produce, the more you're going to, celebrate each other, the more you stop thinking

about yourself, the more you're celebrating, look at the fans, it pulled them right out of their morass and got them going in a different direction. And so I think that what they believe in themselves right now is they're good enough. They're starting pitching's really good. And that's without crochet.

And with Connolly Early on the injured list right now, they've got really good starting pitching. They've got a team coming together offensive. When you think about that, they don't have Roman Anthony playing either. I was saying Mark Anthony. Congratulations to him and his wife having their second child together, his eighth kid. But I saw that at People Magazine or something. But, but I mean, you know, Roman Anthony's not doing anything, but this is just a team that's believing in themselves. And I've got to believe that Alex Corr is sitting there going, wait, really? Like, this team's playing like this right now.

And I'm sitting at home. And boy, I wish I could be part of it. No kidding. Yep, no kidding. It's an incredible run. We'll see what they have in the second game of the doubleheader today. against Baltimore J's in action tonight. Steve, great catching up with you, buddy. We'll do it soon. Okay, thanks, guys. Have good night. There is Steve Phillips joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. It's time to Toyota check out the Toyota Tacoma

and Toyota Tundra pickup trucks, both available as hybrids, Maple Toyota near Canada's Wonderland of the Maple Auto Mall. I knew we got screwed when Scotland didn't end up in Toronto. Like, I knew we were getting screwed when Scotland wasn't here, so the Scottish fans couldn't drink us dry here in Toronto, go to Blue Jay Games and just start chanting. we got screwed. I was in Boston when they were there for that series.

Many of them staying at the same hotel as me. I thought I was a big leaguer when it came back to putting, it came to putting back in Guinness. I realized no. There are greats out there. Yeah. I stood amongst giants. When you have not a reputation,

a legitimate trail, like this thing has been reported on and well-sourced, that you drank a city dry. That is just remarkable. effort and, dare I say talent. I respected it. In a town like Boston. You know, like this isn't like a small market.

This isn't a place. No shortage of ale in Boston. Boston's like one of the great party towns you can find. Like they love to have a drink. And the Scottish fans rolled through there and said, there's just not enough here for us. It was amazing. And Steve's right that week.

The Red Sox sucked that weekend. The Red Sox sucked that weekend, but there was chance. or was singing. It was something else, man. Isn't Steve the best? Who else has got Mark Anthony riffs? Yeah, that's off of it. I didn't realize he had a child.

That's spectacular. How old is Mark Anthony? He must be in his 50s. Because he was married to J-Lo. He was a long time ago. Yeah. He's still pop up. I like Mark Anthony.

He's got some jammed. Is that right? Yeah. I can't name one of his songs. I'm sure I would know him to hear. You would know it. There's like, I don't want to. Give us some karaoke.

It was like Vivier or something, something. It's a really good song. We'll play it. Okay. JP, Mark Anthony on the way in. All right. Arbitration coming up. Best bets later in the hour.

Overdrive continues up on YouTube live. Get Bell, Pure Fiber Internet with Crave, Netflix, and Disney Plus. From $94 a month, price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.com for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Hello, Canada. This is Brian Adams Radio. Hosted by Brian Adams himself.

We'll play a few of mine, a ton of my favorites, and some must-hear behind-the-scenes stories from the world of rock and roll. I'm too many get to. One thing about doing rock and roll so long as you end up meeting a lot of the people that you admire. Sometimes you even get to work with him. Brian Adams Radio.

Now available on the free I-Hare Radio app. Hey, everybody, how are you tonight? Sounds great. You don't know this? Don't know this. This was someone's walk-up song. It's so good. Teoscar, Lord Escorial Jr. It was one of the Blue Jays Latin guys

the last few years had this walk-up. Is it? Yeah. It really is. I swear. Okay. It truly is. It's not my wheelhouse. This guy has collected the Grammys and the Latin Grammys like he's Tom Brady. Is that his number one hit? Like is that the... Yeah, that's the

well-known track. Yeah. He's got some other big ones. I hope so. I mean, if I guess when it Grammys, he's got to have a lot of big songs. He is a great void. Like, I'm well aware of who he is. I know he's... You know, I'm kind of popular. Basically, I know him because of J-Lo. I've been able to go deep on this. You have Google alerts. Yeah, I want to know what's going

on with her. I spent the break, um, putting in more time on Mark Anthony's Wikipedia page than I ever have. Oh, really? Fellas. On either side of Jennifer Lopez, he was married to a different Miss Universe. Is that right? Wow. How about that? You know what it is? He's got swagger. Does he truly watch some of his music videos? He's, he can dance. That's a guy. I bet he hasn't done up his top.

four buttons. Oh, yeah. Since the 70s. Where is he from? I think he's, is he? Good question. I think it said born New York. He's a New Yorker. Oh, really? Okay. Good for him. Yeah, he's from New York. All right. But Puerto Rican. Born in New York to Puerto Rican.

I'm going to send you some songs. Okay. I'm going to get hazy on. Yeah, I'll get around of that. Make him a playlist. Yeah. Burn a CD. That would be old-scrode. That'd be great.

I'd enjoy that. Please do, Jonas. All right. Arbitration. You guys know how to play this? Pretty simple stuff. Generally, it's a player. Maybe it's a team.

Walks you into arbitration. A result is pumped out. And then you either take it or you leave it. So basically you're doing the math on whether or not that makes sense or not. Like whether you're willing to accept it. All right, let's begin with an NFL arbitration case. The Buffalo Bills walk into arbitration.

They are offered a loss in the Super Bowl. Would they take it or leave it? Would you take a Super Bowl loss right now if you're the Buffalo Bills? I'd leave that because of how many they've had. That's so specifically heartbreaking. I know. Yet great season, right? Yeah.

Obviously, it's kind of like earlier with the Leafs. Like, what success? Oh, we'll get to them in a moment. And if the answer is always just a Super Bowl or a World Series or the Stanley Cup, like, you're going to have a miserable life. For most of your life, most of your years, you're going to be miserable. But man, I still leave that. You're leaving it.

I'm taking it all the way. Just so much torture history. I know I'm getting by Mahomes. I know I'm getting by all the Joe Burroughs and everybody like that. I don't know. My other option is like maybe I miss the playoffs. Maybe I lose in the first. Like, I don't know.

At least I could spin that as success, sort of. Yeah. I mean, it matches to an extent, like the Jim Kelly era. Yes, they went to four straight, but they didn't win any of those. You know, and there's no context on what happens in the Super Bowl. Do you get pumped? Does that make it worse? If it's a close game, is it even more heartbreaking, obviously?

They have a wide right scenario. I can't imagine how people in Buffalo would ever react to that. They'd tear down this stadium, too. Yeah. Like, I think the sensible choice is to take it. To be one of the last two. There's just so many other crappy options. 100%.

Because then that also presumed. Allen's healthy had a great year. The offensive line was intact. Joe Brady, really good coach, good hire. Really good hire. Right. Like there's a lot of things you can walk away from and say, man, that was a great season.

But I just feel like I'd leave it because, like, Alan, I'm looking at it through the lens of Josh Allen. You got to win one. You do not want to be this year. This generation is Dan Marino. You know, you just, you don't. But there's so many, the only better outcome is you win. all the other outcomes are worse.

Of course they are. Is it that much worse or they lose in the ASC championship game? Yes. It is that much worse. Given all the other times? Okay. First than losing to the Packers in the Super Bowl.

I'm expanding that. I like that idea. I like that idea. But listen, Josh Allen is not going to play like this forever, too. Well, that's why you've got to take advantage of this. He's not going to play this style of football at least 38. And my God. Mahomes coming off the injury.

I don't know about the weapons in. Kansas City, you know, does he have enough to be competitive? You know, Drake, May and the Patriots, they obviously, they had a remarkable season last year. But I think they come back to Earth a little bit. I just feel like the bills, they're in a window here where it's like you got to, you got to try to win it. Like they've been good enough, they've been knocking on that door for five years now. So close.

Or if they had have won the Super Bowl, any of the previous five years, you'd say it was totally earned. Like they were good enough, they were built to win it. They still have some question marks, of course. You know, there's some turnover on defense. Got Joe Brady there. McDermott's not there anymore. It's a big question mark. Did they hire the right guy?

Can I ask you? I don't know what the Leaf one is. I'm leaving it, though. I'm getting greedyy. I want a Super Bowl. So could I ask you as a Leaf fan, put your Leaf fan hat on? I just give you, you make the Staling Cup final,

but you lose. You're taking that all day and running with it. You are because of what just happened last year. Like, I do think, again, you've got to consider where the bills are. Bills made the playoffs. You know, like the bills, they make the playoffs every single year. So did this team.

Yeah, but they, like, the Leifes didn't have the equivalent. Like, Florida was not their Kansas City. Like, Florida, in 23, they lost in five games. Yes. Right? Like, they lost the first two games at home. That series was, they were down three-nothing.

Yeah. They won game four. So, like, that series was over like that. The Bills and the Chiefs had multiple battles where they, like, the Bills had those games. The Leaves have not had the same thing. I just think it's a different level of expert. expectation.

Sure. But when you have been... Natalie with the Leafs, I would take a sweep in a cup final right now. If I'm... Let's just throw that out there right now. Lease walking arbitration. Four-game sweep, cup final. They're going to leave it.

They lose. A hundred percent. Yeah, you take it because of how bad last year was. And they've won two playoff series. And that would be three playoff runs. That would be their first cup final in 60 years. It would be heartbreaking, but you'd take it.

Yeah. Unfortunately, you take it. All right, let's keep moving on here. I'm going to move past a Josh Allen one here, Joe. I'm going to get to a Scotty Schaeffler one. I know this is where I'm waiting for you. Mark Anthony and Scotty Sheffler takes from Jonas. Scotty walks into arbitration.

He has offered one major in the next two years. One of the next eight. He did not get one this year. He gets one of the next eight. Take it or leave it. Number one player in the world. Still in his prime. I think I'm still leaving that.

You're going to bank on him winning two. I want two. I want to get greedyy and set the line of two and a half. That's just under. I'm thinking back through the open, but I'm going to leave that. What do you like? Leaving it all the way.

Really? Yeah. I'm greedy if I'm him. Like, who am I looking at him being like I'm so worried about your ex? Very reasonable. Ryan Fox, Aaron Rye. Yeah. You know, those were the guys that won the,

the past two majors, or two of the past three majors, Wyndham Clark at the U.S. Open, which was more just random. And he's in everything. He G8-T-5, this one. He finished solo second at the Masters. But I think he's sitting on four majors. You guarantee me a fifth. Like now he's to a point where every one he gets,

you move up to like, all right, that's where Lee Trevino is. That's where Gary Player and Mickelson is. You know what I mean? There's a part of me that would take it because I think what this year proved, is as good as he has been the last four or five years, it is really tough to win, man. And if you guarantee me, if I'm Scotty Schaeffler, one of the next eight,

then you're at five, I believe, in your career, and you're like 32. You still got a lot of runway to get up to maybe 7, 8, 9, 10. I might take it. You know what this makes me think of? If I gave you guys the next 10 years for Victor Wenbanyama, and so I'll just give you one title for the next 10 years. I'm taking that.

Really? Yes. See, I would say forget it. I'm smacking that off the table. But living in the era of the second apron, which is essentially a cap now because no one's touching it, and it requires PhD to understand, unfortunately. I mean, none of these teams are lasting, which I hate.

I know. I want there to be an evil empire. I want there to be the Brady Patriots and the 90s Bulls. I want there to be a team that upsets everyone and everyone else hates. Yeah. We're not there with the NBA anymore. See it with the thunder coming up. I think it's eight different winners in the last eight years, I believe.

So I know the Spurs are right there, and he's got a great cast around him. He's got some really quality young players that are with him. But it's very difficult to win. He hasn't won before, so the idea of just making sure you do get one, which I am fairly certain they are going to win a championship in the next 10 years. I see it's hurt. But that's the thing. He is 7 foot 6

And this guy, his legs Are like this Mike You know But if you ask him for the next decade Like you only won one championship Is that a success or failure? He would say it's a failure Okay, does that apply to Shea?

If Shea only, if Shea wins one In Oklahoma City, that's it, he's done Is that a failure for Shea? No Why is it different for the Because this guy's like, I mean The hype is the alien Like he is unlike anything we've ever seen

It doesn't guarantee anything, though. Just being unique, you know, Yao Ming was unique. He's also just starting. It's like McDavid. If you guaranteed McDavid one cup right now, and that's it, he's taking it all the time.

I'm glad you referenced him because he's the perfect reason why you grab it. Because you just don't know? Because he just don't. But basketball is different. It is. One player can swing it so much more than one player. Sure, but that's against the point. It's just there's no,

you can't guarantee anything in the future. where McDavid, you're probably right. If you asked him when he was 21, you know. I'll give you one for your career. Yeah, you'd probably say, no, I need to chase three, four, five, six. I think I can. And he would be worthy of that confidence. But I'll bet you if you asked him today,

you can jump in a time machine and just pick off one of those two against the Panthers. And that's it. He'd pay for that luxury. I'm almost coming around on women, yeah, I'm on that one now. It's hard to win two now in the NBA. The entire league is set up to not win too. Yeah, he's got a great supporting cast.

They're going to trade one of them in two years. Right. Harper or Castle, one of them, they're not playing there forever. Can't happen. No. It can't happen. I don't like what these seven neighbors doing to basketball right now. You know, I like that everyone gets their turn to feel happy.

But I like it when there's pockets of joy and misery to offset the ball. Yeah. Can't wait. Well, something's coming in baseball. It's going to be, they're going to have a different. economy in major league based Yeah. It may not be a salary cap or whatever, but something's coming. It's going to be

a major change. I hope it doesn't take as long as the aprons for me to understand. The aprons are still very confusing. The worst part is you can't trade. Like there's all these trade rules once you pass a certain level that I don't understand. Incredibly punitive. And, you know, Jalen Brown, like Lou DeWitt just got traded the other day. And, you know, he's a little bit further down, but he's been like a mainstay there. Like him and Shea have been

Like those guys are playing. Obviously, She's a different beast. All right. Let's get to the Maple Leaf one. Well, let me do a reasonable Maple Leaf one. Okay? The Leafs walk in arbitration, they're offered a loss in the first round of the playoff. You don't take that?

No. But you keep saying it could be so much worse. This would guarantee they had a good year with Hiller. Chica's moves worked. Like, they didn't have the same playoff history. That is like the lowest bar of success to me. Do you have them as a playoff team right now? I've been thinking about, I mean, I only thought about it a little bit.

I was thinking of them as like a 90 to 100 somewhere on that scale. That's like maybe, maybe not. Exactly. It took 99 points to make the playoffs. Yeah, but like, but let's say that happened. And we looked at their season. We're like, was that a success? I would say no.

It would have been 60. But like, are they winning the cup next year? Probably not. But that's the point is, you know, crazier things have happened. You can cite the Blue Jays in 2025. I didn't see them going on a World Series. I didn't see them winning 94 games.

It happened. You know, I think that's more than like, in my opinion, if I had to predict the leaves going on some getting to, when they get to a Stanley Cup final, it will be a kind of out of left field scenario. You think so? I think it'll be the Oilers in 06. That doesn't seem to happen as much anymore, though.

Yeah, I mean, I'd have to think of the last time. Florida was kind of that. You could kind of say Vegas last year. Yeah, Vegas didn't have a great year. Now they have the reputation of being a very well-run organization with a ton of talent. But they were bad at times last year, like really bad. Their coach got fired.

Right. Florida was a point away from missing the playoffs in 23. They got all the way to a cup final. Yeah. So, like, I think those two, would classify. Now that we know what Florida is, it's not as surprising as we look back on 23. I just, I don't, I don't know. I mean, I hope I'm wrong. I'd prefer the least to build it properly, build up, and then have sustained success. But it just feels more likely in this market with this

team in their history that they're just going to find a way to get in and then go on some crazy run. The next thing you know, you wake up and they're in a cup final because a goalie got hot, a couple of guys got hot, things brought their way in terms of the bracket. Now, Mark, do like the paper in the movies where now say it's July 22nd. I said this is going to happen. Then they can play the cliff in. Well, that's true. I should, there you go.

I'll cite this if they go on a heater next year. I said it was possible. It's possible. But I think I'd take them losing in the first round. That's just loser mentality. Yeah. I hate to break it to you. Do you know the team we're talking about right now?

I hate to break it to you. John is just want to be invited. At least they would make the regular season compelling. That means they had a good regular season. I just, I don't see the way they're built. I don't see them as like a cup. I don't see them in a cup window right now. That's their whole goal.

What is their ceiling? What is their ceiling right now? Second round? Could they win around? Sure. I don't know. It depends on so many things. This is guaranteeing.

Things break your way during the regular season. How many banners are there? in the ACC for the first round losses. None that I'm aware. Wild card banners, maybe. Those are going to they hang.

That's tough. Oh, the Jays are, though, they're very big proponents of being a wild card. Get rid of not. They like it. They're fans of that. All right, there you go. The whole arbitration.

That's good stuff. Yeah, I mean, listen, we're going to be planning with the Blue Jays next year. like if this continues down this path, get ready for it, Kagan. I know you'll be talking about it. But can they make the playoffs next year? That'll be the big question.

If you're spending $300 million, you better make the playoffs. Can they make the playoffs? That's true. Well, that would apply this year, and it obviously didn't work out. Nope. Or it's not working out as of now. All right, Best Bud's coming up. Overdrive continues.

TSN 1050 and on TSN4. Get Bell, Pure Fiber, Internet, with Crave Netflix and Disney Plus. From $94 a month, price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. You've heard the chaos. Now you can see it.

Hello. My gosh. Watch all your favorite podcasts from start to finish, right inside the free IHare Radio app. Gets the blood going up. Catch every laugh and eye roll on shows like the Tom Green Farmcast and park the bus. Now with full video. We're building a ramp for Tony Hawk. the same hosts and the same chemistry with all the hilarious moments you've been missing right on

your screen. Cheers. Open the free IHard radio app. Search video podcasts and tap watch. All right. Best bets powered by Fanduel. Make your picks and assemble the same game parlay and seconds on the Fandall's Sportsbook app.

Total for the Js game seven and a half tonight. I got to bet the over. No, I got to go the over. The raise on their own are going to score seven. Eight plus. Yeah. Like they've done it the last two nights. I'm not saying the Js are going to put up.

runs. But you get an opener tonight for the Jays. The way they defend, there's defensive mistakes every single night. So they're going to give freebies to Tampa. And Tampa smells blood in the water. Like they know this team is wounded. Tampa, I don't think they're worried about the Red Sox right now, but they want to win the American League East. And this is kind of a free pass, the way the Jays are playing right now.

So I think I think the race But runs on the board And at some point The Js are likely to score some runs Right Jonas Any runs So I'll take the over

Tonight Best Betts powered by Fanduel Same game parley is available For every MLB game On the Fanduel Sportsbook app Please play responsibly 19 plus Physically located in Ontario

Again I'm done with the Vladi props Not gonna happen Not gonna tag me into that Work man Not gonna happen Be careful out there I know, it's a grind. We're going to be, though, in August, and he's going to bring this up again.

You know what? Because you're kind of making the law of averages play. You know what? It hasn't happened yet. At some point, it's got to happen. It has to. Yeah, at some point it's got to happen. He has not hit his last home run, ever.

Now, I'm curious, like, I've already, in a way, almost turned the page on this season. Like, he's just got to get to the finish line. You know, the kind of team is in that spot right now. They just have so many games still left to be played. You can't have that out. attitude. But nothing he's going to do between now at the end of the year is going to kind of salvage

things. Unless he went on some tear and he was the leader of it. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. Yes, sure. That's the only day. Obviously, if they went 15 in a row and he hits, you know, 20 home runs over that run, then people are going to forget what happened and there would be excitement. But I'm not holding my breath

on that. My point is, even if he kind of gets hot in September, you're right, you know, he hits five home runs in September. He's got an OPS of 9-8. and you're like, hey, that's not going to work in terms of launching next season into some sort of optimistic viewpoint. He's just got to get to the finish line and reset. Get to the offseason. Yeah, just get there and just shut it down.

It's a next spring training, and we can go through the same cycle we go through every spring training where no one understands that if you pose differently, your body looks differently, and everyone says, man, he's been in the gym. Yeah. As a guy that's not petite myself, I know that if you lift your arms up, the rest of your body comes up with it. You know, it's about posing in fitness. February and March. Let's skip to that point where he's in the best shape of his life.

I think he will be the most motivated person on the planet next spring. And that can be the big middle finger upseason for Vladdy. But the trouble with baseball is that you've got a whole bunch of games after it goes bad. Gotta keep playing every single night. And they play again tonight. It's a threat. Every single night. And they'll play tomorrow.

And then Friday and Saturday and Sunday down in Boston. Red Sox winning again today. It's 15 in a row. They've got another game tonight against Baltimore. Jay's race tonight. All right, boys. Good stuff. Thanks, folks. Thanks for doing this. Thank you.

Appreciate it greatly. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. Everyone for tuning in today, TV, radio, podcast, web, up on YouTube live and streaming shortly, up on Crave. We're out of here. Enjoy your readings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back to more at 4 p.m.

We'll chat then. You've heard the chaos. Now you can see it. Hello. Oh, my gosh. Watch all your favorite podcasts from start to finish, right inside the free IHRRA radio app. Gets the blood going up.

Catch every laugh and eye roll on shows like the Tom Green Farmcast and park the bus. Now with full video. We're building a ramp for Tony Hawk. It's the same hosts and the same chemistry with all the hilarious moments you've been missing. Right on your screen. Cheers.

Open the free IHRRA radio app. Search video podcasts and tap watch.