OverDrive - OverDrive - May 26, 2025 - Hour 3

Episode Date: May 26, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O’Neill, and Jamie McLennan for Hour 3 of OverDrive! TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined the show to discuss Mitch Marner’s future in Toronto, Brad Treliving speaking with the media this week, and what’s next for Toronto without Brendan Shanahan. The guys then discuss how the Leafs could go about replacing Marner and why things should look as different as possible. TSN Baseball Insider Steve Phillips joined the show to discuss the Blue Jays middling around .500, whether Shohei Ohtani should pitch for the Dodgers, and if the Pirates should trade Paul Skenes. Hayes gave his best bets ahead of game four in Florida.

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Powered by North by Northeast, celebrating 30 years of discovering the artists you love today. I Heart New Music, discover new music, stream now online on your smart speaker and on the free I Heart Radio app. Final Hour Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line to your best bets. I just tried to do that off the top of my head and I was thinking about what I was going to say next and I completely butchered that. There's no other way to put it. Complete butchering to start the hour.

My apologies. We'll have to clip that and see what that sounds like on the replay. That was not good because I started thinking about where I was going to go next. I was going to say best bets later in the hour. We got CJ coming up and I made an amateur move when you're broadcasting. Kids, you cannot start thinking about what's coming up next before you finish the read. And that is precisely what I just did. All right, here we go.

The O-Dog, Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles, McClennan. I'm Brian Hayes. Steve Phillips later in the hour. CJ will join us. Our best, here we go. The O-Dog Jeff O'Neill, Jamie Noodles McClennan, I'm Brian Hayes, Steve Phillips later in the hour. CJ will join us, our best bet still to come. You know what we gotta ask Phillips, which is something I did not anticipate having to ask at this point, but last year we talked a lot about the White Sox and how awful they were. Historically bad. This Colorado Rockies team is worse through the same amount of games. They are 9 in 44. They have 9 wins in 53 games. They have a minus 171 run differential. And they've played not even a third of the season, or basically a third of the season.

Do you know how difficult that is to be that horrendous in sports. Like I just... What hope would any fan... Like, you don't... I don't even know if you have the rebuild type hope there. No, that's it. That's my... That is galaxies away from 500. Light years. Yes.

But you have the sense as a fan that ownership just felt they had to, like, put people in jerseys out in the field because they had to. Do you know what I mean? It would be so embarrassing. And they've been bad for years, man. Like last year they were horrendous. The White Sox let them off the hook because Chicago was so, so bad in chasing, you know, the Mets, the 1960 Mets or whatever it sixty one mats but this is like like the idea that that record i think the white sox lost a hundred twenty two games last year it's almost a lock it's going to be beaten the following season that's the scott is actually grow we thought that these teams were bad near the end in oakland but at least they would they would not do this i mean they

weren't much better but they wouldn't do this they wouldn't do this and like not nine wins in fifty three games uh... there is just crazy and there's no reprieve in baseball but you have to play you're playing today you can play tomorrow and you play the day after that and buckle up boys because you have to play over one hundred more games but in that sickening if you're in that clubhouse? It is. It's sickening because it's not like, hey man, there's only 10 games left and we've

got to get through this. Someone's tapping somebody on the shoulder saying, hey, don't worry, there's only a hunch left. Yeah, you got 100 left over a hunch. If you're the manager, what are you saying to the owner? Like when the owner's calling you and going, hey, what are you... Like unless it's an absolute like we know well.

Jamie, if I'm the manager, I'd go to the owner and say, maybe have a talk with the GM or what's our goal here? Because you put together a product that I got to live with and you're telling me I got to coach this? Yeah. I mean, they just fired Bud Black, you know, but it doesn't even matter. They fired him a couple of weeks ago and the next guy's coming and he's like, what do you think I'm doing here?

Like, do you think I'm turning this ship around? Like, what could you possibly expect out of me? Yeah, it's abysmal. So Steve on that more a little bit later. We'll revisit my opening. We'll get that cut up. We'll play it. You guys can break it down a little bit later on.

You have it? You have it? Is that what you just said? Bringing you everything from the opening line or to your best bets dude my mind that one more time that's the worst ass stuff I've ever my brain is from the opening line or to your best bet that's the best that's the best host of this show in North America And he pulled that stud you sounded like worse that's Wayne's world

That's as bad as you can get for a brain freeze like my brain stopped working and I could tell you what I was doing I was thinking about where I was going and I I know I lost track I want you to play it one more time This is the best host of any show like this in North America and he started the hour like this. Go ahead. Bringing you everything from the opening line to your best bets. Like the best bets.

You could actually see where the wires crossed. I couldn't see it. I could hear it. I was like this guy. This guy's in Mars right now. I was Garth Algar. Like I was in a basement somewhere and my head was in a vice. I was hoping last hour we didn't get called out. Oh, you were talking and I was reading the comments on YouTube and, Hayes, you must have

been doing it too. Yeah. And it just went silent. Oh, there was that silence. Yeah. And, Hayes, you picked up the conversation because i had no idea where we were my mic was off and i was talking about the story of the we

just go dark yeah must have went black well that's been my fault because i'm i just realized the youtube that you guys you know i thought oh yeah people are on their buzz and man is great just like looking at it okay with school were a little bit delayed from where we are sort of like watching it and then all throws to us i'm like i have no idea what you just said i i i

said i'm like i guess that was a crappy comment as i know and i don't know about it might have been your your greatest but i wasn't i was talking to these guys in my mind is all it was me it was in the past that's once more yes it's a little more time before before cj bringing you everything from the opening line rule here that's that barriers chris johnston rt s and hockey insider cj at the same as man and we have to have your best hit of all time you have a little garbage today man unit found you're really have a monday

yeah monday energy here thoughts bad man it's bad like a the canadian screen awards are this week there on friday they made tell me you're out like i'm not i'm not like you have a shot like you have a real is not after this hour yeah i'll be there on friday i'm going to stop the in ron mcclain and but i know that i don't need it you need this that's true I need a sprinkle it you sprinkle it in there yeah right they've all won everything they're legends they've been legends for a long time but anyway my invite might be rescinded

after what we've witnessed today CJ so we need you to save us here and I'm curious now that we're a week out you know from the Leafs and obviously we talked to you on Friday after the Shanahan News and you know I'm seeing some Marner stuff I'm curious I know everyone believes he's he's going to market and that's just a matter of time but would you expect the Leafs to get that type of an answer from him like are they going to demand in the next couple of weeks if they can like can you give us a definitive answer that you're not only hitting the market but that you're leaving would you expect

them to get that answer from him? I'm not sure if they will to be honest and you know I think that's part of what's still interesting here you know we haven't had a chance to speak to Brad Trilliving you get the sense internally in the Maple Leafs front office everyone you know the dust is still settling a little bit after the Shanahan News and and you know they'll soon get into those sort of types of conversations and and you know, the dust is still settling a little bit after the Shanahan news and, and, you know, they'll soon get into those sort of types of conversations. And, and, you know, I'm just curious how they approach the situation in general. Do they, do they want that kind of definitive answer? Do they try to negotiate with them?

Do they have some sort of discussion with his camp about, you know, maybe looking to move his rights if he isn't willing to sign here, because that could obviously get Marner an eighth year on his contract. If they went about it that way and, and, you know, maybe looking to move his rights if he isn't willing to sign here because that could obviously get Marner an eighth year on his contract if they went about it that way and, you know, get the Leafs back some kind of draft pick or something like that. So, you know, I think how they choose to go about this will be, you know, pretty fascinating. I don't think that there's necessarily a playbook or, you know, there's probably different approaches to that. I mean, some teams might look at it at it and say okay you don't want to be with us goodbye and just just cut off communications others you know might might want to work with

them I don't I don't know which tack the Leafs are going to take yet and and I'm not sure you know necessarily that they do either but you know where I think we're all assuming it goes that way for Mitch but but you know there could be a chance here there's some kind of Hail Mary I mean right now we just don't have a lot of answers in terms of how the Leafs are gonna approach that situation. That's probably the biggest one when it comes to player personnel in the next month or so. CJ, do you know where the asking to go to Carolina

and wave the no movement, like do you know how frosty things got after that? Cause I can't imagine it was very good. Well, I mean, put yourself in his shoes, right? And, you know, I'm not saying that the Leafs did anything wrong, but you can imagine that when you get to that stage, it probably isn't the best thing. And I didn't know that it sat well with the martyr side of things. But at the same time, you know, they weren't going to negotiate with the leach on the contract and so

that's the need to leave to try to do with that's really really a shaggy because it's not cj but what did you really expect if you're not willing to negotiate on the contract right and so and and look he had the right to not wait a bit in del tomorrow's credit and you know he didn't expect his play on the ice leach an immediate term you know i think you still you know can make it himself To Marner's credit, it didn't affect his play on the ice at least in the immediate term. I think he still connected himself in the way you'd expect and everyone moved on from

that. But I'm sure that was a bit of a fishing point and one where it's probably stuck in his mind a little bit. But you only get to that stage because you're not willing to engage and negotiate on the contract. I really do believe that the Leafs would have signed them to an extension in September, October, December earlier in the season. And that would never have been something that came up in March, but it did. And I think they, under the light of the circumstances, I think everyone did what they could.

And Marta kept playing well for the team. But now that we're kind of getting close to what feels like an unraveling, I'm sure we'll get a little more insight into how everyone truly talks about things like that. CJ, do you expect any more news trickling out as far as Keith Pelley talked at his press conference, sit down with Chief, you get to sit down with Brad Tree Living and maybe get all on the same page as to where the direction goes. I don't know when those meetings were taking place or if they have or not, but it's more about do you think there's any more communication from the organization or do you think they

go dark here until they start to make some moves? No, I think that's where we're at right now in this time and place you know if you tell me had dinner last night with brad for a living and and you know now they're they're kind of into the first week you know po chan and essentially business week and i think it's a lot of that is about gaining a comfort with each other you know figuring out how the communications gonna work how

you know really just just how everyone feels comfortable operating a front office. I know it's only one person gone from the operation at this point, but it's a pretty significant figure and someone who I think set the tone in some ways for how things worked in the Maple Leaf's offices. So I think that's what's happening now, Noodle's, and we've been sort of told to expect that Bradshaw Living

will address the media at some point here in the near future. And once that happens, obviously, he'll get a full gamut of questions about his approaches to the roster, about Marner, about potential ways he might spend that money if Marner's gone. But I think also notably will be how he sees the front office taking shape moving forward because you know that's that that is I think a pretty significant

thing for them to to work out and I do believe they're just in the early stages of kind of determining how everything's going to work. With Chris Johnston our TSN hockey insiders so TSN has revealed their their top 50 NHL free list, Mitch Marner at the top of that, Sam Bennett number two, Devaris three, Nicolai Ehlers four, Brock Besser five. Other names that are on the list are Aaron Echblad, Brad Marshand. I mean there's a bunch of guys that are still playing. But you know how would you define this crop compared to other years and if you take away Marner, I guess if he decides he's not returning to Toronto, then obviously he's not a part of this program like how much

Work do you think tree living and company can do via free agency and how much might they actually have to do via trade? If it gets to that point Well, I mean you're gonna have to get creative. That's kind of my initial take on things here. And, and look, I think, you know, put it on our side just for a moment. And we do expect, you know, he's, he's probably out of the picture here. The least are going to need to center man, I think, be behind us and Matthews. And you know, what it just might be one of those is John Tavaris and there you go. One ready-made solution. But when you look at that board, I mean,

once you get past Sam Bennett, it's not too long before you're into PSC suitor territory. And I say that with respect to PSUitor, had a pretty good year at Vancouver, but it wouldn't be what anyone would sort of circle and say that's the kind of guy you want playing second line center for a team trying to win the Stanley Cup. And so, I think the Leafs are gonna have to get creative

in how they do it, and maybe the Trader does offer some solutions I mean certainly I think that this is poised to be a year where there's a lot of teams with cap space and needs and you know once you get past and first say 10 names on that list I mean it goes it goes south in a hurry and it's like you say they're all bad players and I I think you stop getting out of the idea that they can be a lot of difference makers for agency. And so I think the trade market

should be pretty ample this year. The one concern I'd have from the lease end of things when it comes to trade specifically is just what they have to trade. I mean, obviously they've dealt away a lot of draft capital with their deadline deals the last number of years, the sort of go-for-it deals, you know maybe there's some some pieces within the organization, younger players and the like that they can use but I don't think they have as much maybe they get

in the trade conversations as some other teams so you know it's not a certain sign of doom. I do think that there's some intriguing players that could help the Leafs be a very competitive team again next year if they have to patch all those holes and Marner does leave. But it sets up as a pretty big five weeks here leading into July 1st to make sure they're well positioned to handle all the moving parts that'll come with that. CJ, you just discussed John Tavares and it seems like that is basically going to happen and you mentioned the word creativity. Bringing him back just doesn't seem like it's that creative where you just said the words like you need a second line centerman, well there's

John Tavares sitting right there. Don't you want to look into a different option? They haven't won with him, so why would it be a need or a necessity to bring him back into the fold I I really don't understand it I feel like you and I have this out every time I do a hit oh dog but this is what this is what I see I see a guy who wants to be here score 38 goals this year 70 I want to do a lot of stuff too Chris I want to do a lot of stuff too that I just some people say you're not doing it well who's your solution i mean at the end of the day we have to deal with what's in front of us like

not convinced and then it even become a free agent even if he does you want to be paying him the money he's going to be worth i mean i i just don't know where you find the other players to to fill this void and you have deals a player still extremely productive sitting right here on the roster who wants to play for your team. I mean, to me that's a tough thing to pass up and we'll see what the Leafs do.

I mean, I'm not in charge of the team. I just think it's the most obvious and sort of easy next step among all the decisions they have to make. Well, to jump in here, I think what O is saying, and I don't disagree, if John Tavares wants to come back and the contract looks very affordable, because again, we can have this argument until we're blue in the face, but if Tavares comes back on a very valued contract, then you go, okay, we don't have to replace 38 goals or maybe 30 goals, you call it. But from O's standpoint, if you're looking at it and

just looking for a different type of player, a different face, Matt Duchenne is the same age and maybe you can get a guy like Duchenne or somebody comparable like that. I'm thinking outside the box, Jamie, like I don't know if you can pick Nazem Kadri out of Calgary. I don't know what their plans are with that organ. I'm talking about something like that. Well, I agree with you, Owen. I'll let CJ weigh in as well. But it's, I think you need more down the middle of the ice. Like not just replacing John Tavares as a two. Like if Tavares comes back, he might end up being your three. You might have to go for Tavares and Kadri and somebody else or somebody else if you can't get it in a

trade like to me I think tree has to be creative because to be honest Max Domi makes almost four million dollars I didn't think he was very productive this year overall I mean you might be looking to move away from players like that as well that's it wasn't a great season for Max and you know I just think you need a better option him as your third sender and let's face it I mean even if they bring Tavares back and we'll see where the price point lands and maybe he's basically the third center and you're trying to do is upgrade at the 2C spot with someone from the outside. It's look it's that's why it's it's not going to be there's not you

know 12 things at the store here you can go buy if you're Brad True Living. I think that's why you're right. I mean, maybe trade is a solution. I just, I don't know what you're trading. I think at this point you have to be careful trading some of the younger players. I mean, Easton Cowan's played right now in the Memorial Cup finals there this week. I mean, do you want him in a deal? I mean, obviously that's something other teams would value.

You know, it's, it's the least right that tough spot is contention windows where they've just, you know, they don't have a ton in the coverage right now and they still have to try to find ways to get better, which is no excuse. Other teams do it. The Florida's have done it. They see seven guys walk out the door last year, two days after they won the Stanley Cup and they still found ways to fill in their roster and have a really deep team today. So, you know, this is where the Scouts and the front office makes its money. And, you know, this is the time that they at least have to,

you know, uncover some gems. Maybe it won't be obvious players at first, but they find some guys that fit in with what they're trying to do that can have better seasons next year than they've had in the past. Yeah, that's a big part of it as well. Like, it's not just amateur scouting, you're pro scouting.

You've got to find players that, quite frankly, you know, and every team is guilty of, they have let go. Yeah, find a Marcia, so find a Verhagy, find something. Well, they had Verhagy, they had Marchman, you know, and they decided they're not going to fit. And they're not alone. That happens with every team. But, you know, this, again, you not gonna fit and they're not alone that happens with every team But you know this again, you can't go back and find and pluck them now But at one point for heggie was there for basically anything Mason Marchman was there for Geno Malgan, you know, like you got it. Those are trades the Jose Bautista types

Where at the time you look at you're like, okay, whatever then all of a sudden he turns into a player Like you got to do it man. You got a Gino Malgan one boy. I'll never Last night on the world Kicker though guys, and I'll say it again not once Twice yeah, he came back Gino Came back the second time was from. And the second time at training camp He was dancing out there and everyone was like I told you about that Gino Malgen, man

Then sure as you know what like ten days later was like I can't play. Yeah, you know his name is Dennis Yes, I don't care. I forgot his name wasis i actually i'd just googled gino malik and bill and i'm like i would have been as i forgot i called him jim malden from the day i put eyes on it and i love it yeah i know you gotta find the next you know malden appear here that's the role of brad tree living here uh... well see do what you make it just feels like it's florida admins and will in the cup final, doesn't it?

Yeah. I mean, I'm, I'm definitely getting those vibes again. I mean, certainly Florida is not a, there's no risk in making that pick at this point, the way they've been rolling through the hurricanes and even the end of the leaf series. And you know, Edmonton's got something. I mean, I think it'll be an interesting final. If there's one of the teams remaining, I, I, you know, I do believe Edmonton can give Florida a bit of a run for its money but let's face it I mean the Panthers I'm

sure are going to be favored you know whoever they play just with winning seven of their last eight and you got a chance to sweep Eastern Conference final maybe the biggest thing standing in their way is the 12-day wait that they're going to have for the start of the cup final if they end up finishing that series off tonight. Well that's a very good point like they win tonight and Dallas final and finishing that series off tonight. Well, that's a very good point. Like they went tonight and Dallas gets back in that series, which they definitely could. Yeah. You know, that goes six or seven. Florida is going to be sitting there for 10 days before they play another game,

if not more than that. Yeah. It's set for June 7th. I'm pretty sure the start of the cup final. So it's 12 days. If they win tonight, wow, that is a long layup, but that's probably why, like Reinhardt, he probably isn't capable of playing. He the other day but why even force them to play they just say we'll see in a cup final man but will take it from here let reinhardt said but meekal is that career exactly like your that what a luxury to have your your the conference final and you can load

manage to a certain extent on a haze it's in the conference final in your telling guys no rush. Yeah, don't worry about it. Yeah. We'll see you in the cup final. Be ready for June 7th. That's pretty good.

Yeah. That's the dream. I mean, they have 10 players between 10 and 15 points. Like, it's nuts how balanced Florida's been in this playoff. Yeah. That is a great point. I saw your tweet earlier. Like, there is just no ability to ability to breathe like whoever they put over the

boards you're on your heels or you're ready for a fight you better be ready for a fight crazy all right cj you saved this man that was great we needed that we needed some help and you supplied it for us thank you for this love it guys well good luck with the rest of your your hour here you're almost you're almost to 7 p.m We'll try our best. Thank you There's Chris Johnston our TSN hockey insider and I have to let everybody know I have nothing at all against John Tavares He's been a great soldier. He's been very productive but he's a massive part of the lack of success and I I just don't understand I'm doing as much as I can different with

the money available than anything the same. Well, I was just gonna say I remember Ken Holland saying this in an interview that we were all kind of sitting around listening to him talk and the way he liked to build his teams is he looked at you know first line, second line, third line, fourth line and what their production. If his team, if he wanted to have 250 goals that year or whatever, like, okay, what line, what players could bring? So if you're Brad Tree Living, are you, if you realistically, Tavares had an unbelievable

year at 38 goals, but let's just say you would, if you thought you were going to sign him at a value contract Do you think that he could get 30 next year? I don't care about the 30. No, I am see they would be helpful I'm worried about games four or five six and seven against the Florida Panthers is what I'm worried. I 100% understand Oh, but you have to make the playoffs. So what I'm saying is you're gonna have to replace. Let's call it 30 goals With somebody so you're right. You threw out names, I threw out names, Kadri or Duchenne or whoever, somebody to trade through throughout the league.

They have to, the combination that you signed, John Tavares, has to give you some type of those goals to make it up for. And keep in mind, Marner's on the right side, that's 100 points. It might be a combination of many players to make up those 100 points, but your team is gonna be differently constructed to have success potentially in the playoffs because it'll look different, the balance is different. That's, you're not wrong.

I'm just saying as a manager, I remember thinking Ken Holland, you know, saying that as he's gotta make up some of those goals. And I guarantee you Brad Treeliving's going, I've got 100 points walking out the door and yes i will have a refill the jamie i'll just say this and i'll put it the rest of the i don't want to talk about anymore the rest of the we got a month left it would be as different looking as possible after nine straight years of

what we see yes different as possible different as possible but i'd to meet you guys in the middle you've got it get the right guys. No kidding! And this is why a lot of GMs don't have the stomach for it because it's tough and there's no guarantees and then that's that's where you get issues like you can use the baseball team as an example where they were like we had two money home runs we got to do something different different, we don't win, Teosca hand enters, you're out, Eric Swanson coming in, brutal trade, horrendous, horrendous trade.

But at the time it was like, we need some help in the bullpen, we need run prevention, we're going to score, they're laughing too much in the bullpen or in the dugout. Like this is the thing, like you had to make that move for someone else or for someone better or maybe you had to keep that guy and like Marner is gonna make his decision and I think they need change and after nine years that feels obvious but the reason they may not end up doing it is because they say I have no idea how to fulfill the production and we don't have the stomach to even go out there and try it because you look at the top 50 list on TSN.ca and after the first few guys

you're like you want to replace Mitch Marner with Brock Besser? I don't know if that's the answer you know and and that's that's the thing it's just gonna take some courage it's gonna take some time some creativity but it's your job if you're Brad True Living to do it and to get it done properly and sell it and all that good stuff i agree i just don't think you're going to you're not going to replace mitch marner with one plan out of my ever happened combination of a couple different players that add up to a hundred points that that

you know if it's best sir it had to have to be best sir and somebody else to you know if it's better it would have to be better and somebody else to you know to to fulfill what Marner brings to the table but your team might have more depth where you're not just relying on three or four guys to pull you through that's really what you're looking at. Well and that's the question also it does it's not like the league ends after next season. Like this is good if you're if you're not giving Marner eight years then you may have you got eight years where you got to fill that you can't wait forever

but you know it doesn't have to be this year could be at the trade deadline next year could be the year after that over the next couple of years you've got to start bringing some younger talent in you have to you got to do what we just talked about pro scouting find a couple of guys Who are on waivers that turn into players or the other team just is done with them find them bring them in You know like that's that's difficult, but that's a big part of the sport man and team building You got a font you got to find the guys where the other teams like now we tried it for a few years We don't like it all in different levels free agency drafting Like college guys. guys drafted junior kids

like scrap heap all of it man yes all of them you've got Ios all of it has to be and that's where we talk about resources the least there's no excuse for them not having it yeah they have they it should all be available to them all right best bets coming up later in the hour powered by fando all out of baby the philips adorn us as well overdrive continues tsn ten fifty and the tsn uh... best bets on the hockey game tonight the memorial cup continuing as well out in ramosky upon tsn and yet medicine had against moncton

great job by all out there by the way crushing it out crushing it crushing it I love Frankie Corrado is doing his interviews in the jumpsuit. He's got the You see Frankie out there and he's got the full-blown hockey tournament gear when you're 12 years old and it's it's awesome It looks elite. They're all on the ice Reagan Subban. She's out there skating around doing interviews during the game. It's incredible and Subban she's out there skating around doing interviews during the game it's incredible. Innovative stuff, I love all of it the whole crew is amazing. It's amazing yeah they're doing an amazing job and London won last night Easton Cowan had a couple of points and he's looked good the nights look good it's gonna be a

great Memorial Cup and yeah we'll get to that a little bit later in the hour best but still to come the Jays have wrapped up their afternoon game down in Texas. Man, they needed this one. They pick up a 2-1 win after getting swept down in Tampa. And the bats were not exactly firing on all cylinders. But Gossman was phenomenal again today. And that's back to back really, really quality starts for him. His numbers are really solid.

And he needed that. He had a bit of a roller coaster year last year and uh... gosman's been really good this year and he was great today and i think most importantly hawfman went out there got the save in the ninth because he is really had some issues the last few weeks here's uh... steve phillips our he has sent baseball insider uh... there's gosman doing it again steve i mean last year we talked with

you a lot about the r ups and downs and you know The bats are inconsistent with the jays they weren't exactly great today but gosman was phenomenal and there's a lot of stress on this starting rotation But he appears to be ready to go Well yeah he paid through the ball very well i mean not absolutely awesome and i think for hoppins to an important Bounce back save for him, right? The indicator of a good closer isn't can you save a game, it's what do you do after you blow a save or two in order to be able to get back on track again.

So he was able to do that. Didn't get his swing and miss, but was able to get the job done. But you know, this is, you know, sometimes it's not who you play, it's when you play them. And the Rangers have been awful this year. So disappointing the way they're performing. And this is an offense that had a chance, sometimes not who you play it's when you play them and the Rangers have been awful this year

so disappointing the way they're performing and this is an offense that had a chance I thought like a couple years ago to lead the league and run scored I mean they have so many good hitters I know Seeger's on the injured list it isn't quite right you know and it's always Garcia's not been very good this year but you know this was an offense that picked up Jake Berger to play first base and he was going to hit and they sent him to the minor leagues for a little bit of time and now he's back. Marcus Simeon looks horrible at the plate this year and so listen, you take a win when you can get it but this just happens to be a Rangers team that's playing worse than the Blue Jays are.

Steve, where are you at with the Blue Jays? I mean, you know, it's been up and down. They got the 500. Now I think they're game below it now with the win today. I mean, you know, you see a surge or do you feel like they're just kind of hover around the record right now? You know, they've got the starting pitching that could, you know, you could think you get a winning streak out of it because they're starting pitching, you know, it's pretty good names and some, some good pitchers,

but we've not seen a winning streak out of them for a couple of years now. Like it's just, they never seem to get traction. It's this back and forth in level of mediocrity that they've never been able to get over the hump the last couple of years. And so, you know, you think it's in there, but until they go out there and get it done and start to produce, you know, it feels like it's a lot of mediocrity right now. And yet, you know, we see that throughout the American League East, other than the Yankees, everybody else, you know, I mean, except the Orioles, but you like the, you know, the Red Sox and the Blue Jays and the Rays are all right there, right around 500.

They all beat each other up. They all lose to each other And so it just doesn't seem to be any traction where they they get things going they get some momentum where you know Vlad is hot and Bichette's hot, Santander is rolling, the pitching is good Where you know you can rattle off 10 11 in a row and we should we've seen the twins do that the Tigers are playing extraordinarily consistent baseball because they're you know they're hitting is always good enough their pitching is always good enough and they defend and so you know for the Jays it's in there but you know we've not seen it for a couple years and so you know I I'm I'm

not building an expectation that they're gonna go on a run. Well something we have literally never seen before took place today. Jacob DeGrom has made 229 starts over the course of his 12-year MLB career. Today's outing against the Jays, first time he has failed to record a strikeout. First time in his career. And it happened today. He went five and a third. That's incredible, Steve incredible Steve yeah it is

amazing yeah it is and it's even amazing today can be I mean he didn't have his best stuff but he was you know you would have thought he would have gotten more swing and miss and and I mean I mean listen this you know he was still effective overall just they were able to put the ball in play you know some credit goes to the Jays for that, for avoiding the swing and miss. But you know, it's so interesting for DeGrom, like he's on pace to be considered in the race for the Cy Young Award in the American League this year. He's throwing the ball very well.

And if he were to win his third Cy Young Award, you know, then it comes down to is he a Hall of Famer? And yet, you know, if you look at the numbers, I think he has 88 wins to his name in his career. That's all. 88 wins. You know, we're talking about, you know, with Verlander and Kershaw and Scherzer, they're all in the 240, 250, 230 range. 88 wins for DeGrom because he's had, I think 48 starts in his career, 47 starts where he has gone seven innings or more, giving up two innings or less, two runs or less and not

gotten a win. Tidus Scherzer for the most since 2014 and so you know he always seems to pitch well but they never seem to hit when he's on the mound. Well one guy that does hit and one guy that could soon to be on the mound is Shohei Otani and he just hit a first pitch home run in Cleveland like 10 minutes ago. So the Dodgers are off to a good start. Shohei, first pitch of the game, he absolutely torched it to right field. But the reports were out that he's starting to really ramp up his arm and we're a couple of years removed now from his last official start

as a major leaguer. Where do you see this one going and considering how he continues to play it that you know in terms in terms of his bat and in terms of whatever whatever else he's bringing to the table with the Dodgers is this is this a gamble at all in your opinion and what would you expect to see him you know from him once he does get back in the mound? Yeah you know for me I personally would just make him a hitter I wouldn't make him a pitcher you know what we saw is that he has now been the most protected pitcher you know he pitches once a week they get him out you know when there's a lead and yet he broke down twice and had Tommy

John twice and so Tommy John twice. And so I look at the investment being made and think, hey, you know, he's a pretty good pitcher when he's in. I mean, he is. He's a good pitcher when he's in there. But if he's going to break down and he could miss potentially, you know, even if it's hitting wise, half a year, depending upon another third Tommy John surgery, because if he's been the most protected pitcher and broke down twice then what do we do and you know and I personally think that the last time he was a two-way player his body was rejecting it remember it was down the stretch with the Angels and they decided not to trade him at the deadline they kept him we started the game with

Detroit where he threw a shot out the first game, hit two home runs in the second game, but started cramping. And from that point on, had cramps everywhere, forearms, shoulders, legs. And then he ended up needing Tommy John surgery. I just, I get that nobody could do what he's done. And he'll be able to do it to some degree again, but at what risk for potential missing time in the future so you know I I just I Only make him a hit or just let him go out there and dominate Offensively even if I put him in the outfield like I think he can certainly play the outfield He'd be just fine there. You don't have to pH them all the time, but I would I would

Capitalize on the bat and I forget about the arm Steve or Tony Dodgers, real competitive organization, tons of money. On the other hand of that, Hazy B, my guy here, was bringing up the Rockies and what they're bringing to the table. Do you have any explanation to how they put that on the field?

Is that just try to be as bad as you can or what? Yeah, I honestly don't even know what their plan is. Because it doesn't feel like a rebuild that, you know, they just don't seem to try. And like, they don't go sign, you know, veteran middle relievers so that when your young starters get a chance to win a game, maybe you could score a point, get them a win. And they don't get any veteran hitters to join their young hitters there. They've not drafted well.

And their hitters don't seem to anymore gain the benefit of playing the course field, but the opposition still seems to have it. And so first of all, it's really hard to figure out what's the right formula to win in Colorado. Because of the size of the outfield, because the fences are so deep, but also because the ball travels so far in the light air. And then with your breaking pitches as a pitcher, the ball doesn't break as much. And so it's really hard to

figure out how do you, what type of player do you put together there? I mean, I have thoughts on what it would take, but you know, I mean, it's not rocket science. I mean, everybody has sort of tried along the way. Free agent pitchers don't want to go there because, you know, if it's a one year reclamation project, they're going to get roasted pitching in Colorado. Hitters you think would want to go there, but they can't see if you get anybody go because there's always somebody better with a better chance to win that has interest in that hitter. So they've got to start trying. Like I don't think they try in free agency. They don't

sign anybody. They don't pursue anyone. And so I don't know. I just I don't quite understand the plan. I don't understand the methods. I don't understand the roster. And you know and yet they don't seem to make changes. They changed the manager but it wasn't bud Black's fault. They just don't have very good roster right now. Well, and they lost again today. So there's another one. They're nine and 45 now.

Nine and 45, the Cubs beat them. It's crazy. Yeah, it really is. You lose the thing as much as I look at it and think, geez, how do you lose 45 games? I'm wondering how they won nine. Right. Really, that's the more amazing much as I look at it think geez how do you lose 45 games I'm wondering how they won nine right like really that's the more amazing number when I look at them like how did you win nine games like yeah Yankees crazy Yankee fans are freaking out naturally like that's how bad it is if

your team loses to them it's it's such an indictment of you and your whole operation it's supposed to be mandatory win night and you know they are clearly the worst team in the league but you look at the National League you know we were talking about this earlier like the Pirates it's basically Paul Skeens and then the rest of the team effectively in terms of the way you know baseball in the sports world kind of looks at it and Skeens looks like he's bent out of shape every every time I hear him he gets no run production we're just talking about de Grom and de Grom had a

bad clearly at times with the Mets and now he's doing it with the Rangers skeins they don't offer him anything like nothing he's got to be perfect every single time out he's gonna say check please Hayes well that's the question like team control through 29 I i believe it is steve in you can't get rid of what you can't move off from because he's the only is your whole team but at what point when he look at the pirates and say sure we're not the rockies but we're not far from it

and what is going to happen here yeah i mean i think they'll hold them they'll try to sign them uh... he won't sign uh... and at some point they'll try to sign him he won't sign and at some point they'll trade him now it won't be now I mean whatever they could get now they'll get two years from now they'll get three years from now so there's you might as well hold them during the affordable years get one out of them what you can you know people do

show up more at the gate when he does pitch and and get the benefit of that but yeah it's unfortunate right that you That they don't invest in offense ever and they don't develop it. They don't draft it well, they don't sign and develop the offensive players well. And they have O'Neal Cruz and they have Brian Reynolds. And really beyond that, there's not much threat in the lineup for them.

And then with the pitching, I mean, they had Jared Jones, they lost to Taube Chalon surgery. Bubba Chandler's a really young pitching prospect. They have coming up, like, you thought, I looked at them and thought, you got a shot of, if you add some offense, you've got enough pitching that if you pitch well and score enough, you got a chance to compete for a wild card spot.

But they never add the bats that they need. And ownership there just keeps collecting the revenue sharing by a big you know the competitive balance tax money uh... and they don't ever reinvested into the team i think they've got an eighty eight billion dollar payroll uh... and uh... you know i think the future less than that but almost everybody else spends more money on player personnel than they do

well we'll see what all paul skeens has in store for us the rest of the way. It always could be worse. You could be the Colorado Rockies. And for that, I'm sure they will look upon that positively down in Pittsburgh. Great stuff, Steve. As always, thank you for doing this. We'll do it again soon. Anytime, guys.

My pleasure. Have a good night. You too. There's Steve Phillips, our TSM baseball insider. Again, the Jays winning 2-1 this afternoon down in Texas needed that after yesterday man like Schneider was not happy nor should he have been the way things played out yesterday in Tampa and the Rangers again they've been struggling and like Steve said they got him at the right time.

Barshow again another home run today like he obviously didn't start the season on time starting on the IL but since he's been back, man, he's been mashing. You know what you're getting defensively? Best in the business, and he's hitting for power. Well, there's one guy who's got to get hitting. He's got seven home runs. You're talking about Vladdy, the big guy? Yeah.

Yeah, Vladdy, it would be nice to see him not go through a stretch like this ever. And Hazy, like you're talking about theado rockies in the in skeins in the pirates i always talk about the n.h.l. how it's a watered down product too many teams too many players like all the sports like why the hell should pittsburgh have a team that they're going to be doing that what what what is their existence like there's too many teams look at how many garbage teams there are why are the in existence if you're not

going to reinvest the money you're just sitting there stealing from other teams and you're sitting there on your ass it's embarrassing man well that's it man with revenue sharing it there are teams that lose and are awful and no one shows up and they still make money yes the money gets but does not make sense man yeah it's anti-competitive is what it is. And like the Pirates have been around forever, clearly.

It's a great sports town, but they have not been a relevant baseball team in since Barry Bonds was on their team. Like I honestly, it's like 30 years. When was the last time the Pirates were a team that was creating buzz? They've had players that would create buzz, but Pirates you know the Rockies they've had they've had some runs over the years clearly but like it's brutal man white socks

embarrassing it's like what are what are you in existence for water it down and only have teams that have to have good players on it well that's what it is it's filling out a schedule man you got 30 teams and everyone plays and that's the situation we find ourselves in. All right, best bets coming up powered by FanDuel. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. All right, today's best bets powered by FanDuel. Make your picks and assemble a same game parlay in seconds on the FanDuel Sportsbook app.

Panthers money line sam bennett one plus points tonight bennett he just seems to do it every single night and i just don't see carolina get up off the mat it's in florida you know what the injuries whoever steps in and replaces them will somehow defining game or a lot of things that are said or score or do you sound like it's it's a trade now you're not just coming in to say all your team can hear you're there to

contribute and play good and i fully anticipate that'll happen tonight uh... that pan about plus one twenty today's best bets powered by fandall live same game parlors are now available for every stanley cup playoff game of fandall sportsbook out please play responsibly nineteen plus physically located in ontario all right well we get the memorial cup tonight we got uh... okay c plan many tonight game for the western final you get the eastern final

possibly wrapping up in the n.h.l. and j's in action tomorrow after a big win today so what would you what would your many jerry say that florida's wrapping it up like is it like is it the highest ever have in the two percent i feel very good about them when it's nice but i'm a desire but a guarantee but freddy's back in the net might get a game and i don't know freddy boy why not now

one of the like poor roddies got answer that's like you're going back to freddy on his leg but he really wants to say is well, the other guy gave up 60 other night. I kind of got to go back to him to see what he's got. Yeah. Yeah. Couple of games for Freddie and then take a little break. And now he's back in there. All right. We'll see what Freddie's got tonight. Good stuff. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. Everyone for tuning in today. TV, radio, podcast, web, and of course up on YouTube Live. We appreciate that.

We're outta here. Enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at? After that gaffe we heard today, we need a big response tomorrow. You got it? Guaranteed.

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