PHNX Arizona Diamondbacks Podcast - Why Cody Bellinger COMING HOME is Perfect Fit for D-backs This Offseason

Episode Date: October 9, 2025

JOIN THE SUPPORTERS CLUB ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/yc6km2r4While the Diamondbacks are focused on bolstering their pitching this offseason, there are still key positional needs to address. One potential solution? Bringing Arizona native Cody Bellinger back to the Valley. We break down the pros and cons of targeting Bellinger, including his versatility at first base and the outfield, and whether his contract demands make sense for the D-backs. Plus, we recap his current team, the Yankees, bowing out of the Postseason, and share why we still can’t get enough of David Ortiz as a brodcaster.An ALLCITY Network ProductionSUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtubeALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsportsMERCH https://store.allcitynetwork.com/collections/phnx-lockerALLCITY Network, Inc. aka PHNX and PHNX Sports is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by the City of PhoenixPHNX Events: Get your tickets to PHNX events and takeovers here: https://gophnx.com/events/ALLCITY — including us here at PHNX — is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for an exciting three-year partnership. To learn more, visit https://www.bbbs.org/allcity/APS:  Find instant rebates, discounts and special offers on smart thermostats, energy-efficient appliances and more at https://marketplace.aps.com/default/heating-cooling/smart-thermostatsBranded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 15% off your first order!Zen Leaf: Visit our friends at Zen Leaf (http://zen-leaf.store/phnx) for 50% off using promo code ZENPHNXChicken N’ Pickle: Family friendly fun awaits! Visit chickennpickle.com to plan your visit today!Access Auto Insurance Agency of Arizona, LLC (Access Auto) is a renowned agency offering personal and commercial auto insurance options to Arizona residents. If you’re on the hunt for a new policy, call Access Auto today at 1-480-400-0546 or get a free insurance quote by visiting our website www.access-insurance.com.Visit https://www.macu.com/accounts/checking/mystyle-checking?cid=ea-PHNX-AZ-mystyleAugust2025-checking to learn more about their MyStyle Checking Accounts!bet365: https://www.bet365.com/hub/en-us/app-hero-banner-1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_campaign=usapp&utm_medium=affiliate&affiliate=365_03485317 Use the code PHNX365 to sign up, deposit $10 and bet $5 to get $150 in bonus bets!Disclaimer: Must be 21+ and physically located in AZ.  If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-NEXT-STEP, text NEXTSTEP to 53342 or visit https://problemgambling.az.gov/Branded Bills: Use code BBPHNX at https://www.brandedbills.com/ for 20% off your first order!Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply.Shady Rays: Head to https://shadyrays.com and use code: PHNX for 35% off polarized sunglasses. Try for yourself the shades rated 5 stars by over 300,000 people.Circle K: Join Inner Circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you!Monarch Money: Use Monarch Money to get control of your overall finances with 50% off your first year at https://www.monarchmoney.com/phnxWhen you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Well, the Diamondbacks have a lot of options this offseason, but is bringing home Hamilton High School's own Cody Bellinger, one of them? And if he does come here, can he play both first base and outfield? At the same time, he might have to, based on how much he's going to cost. We're talking about it in 30 seconds. Come in to another edition of the PHNXDback podcast live from Studio K, presented by our friends at Circle K. My name is Derek Montia, occasionally known, as your mayor of PHMX, and I've been sitting in this seat for what feels like four hours now.

Welcome in to all of you guys. Glad to have you here. Glad to be talking about baseball and no longer those terrible, terrible things happening to our basketball teams. Shout out to the Mercury for their impressive comeback last night, falling just short. I feel like, once again, there's a lot of heartbreak going around in this town, and I'm very familiar with it. We, as Diamondbacks fans, are very familiar with coming very close to winning that championship,

falling just short. Glad to have you guys here. of course this show is brought to you by our friends at bet 365 in game time. Make sure to download that bet 365 app and use our code of PHNX 365 when you sign up. Get yourself some bonus bets for following a few easy steps as a new customer. Over at game time, use that code of PHNX. You'll get $20 off your first already low ticket purchase. Got Damon Dogg on the ones and twos today.

Glad to have my boy here. We are going to talk once again. It's another offseason for the Diamondback. So we are once again going to speculate on Cody Bellinger, possibly returning to the valley for this baseball team. And quite frankly, this season was one of his better years, both defensively and offensively. We are going to talk about it costing a lot of money, but why it might make sense for this

team. But more importantly, we have to say goodbye to Cody Bellinger's current team, the New York Yankees, who were eliminated and swept, not swept. They lose two games or three games out of four here to the Blue Jays. Toronto clinched the ALDS here in four games, eliminating the two games. the Yankees. Nathan Luke's delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning providing some crucial insurance runs there for the Blue Jays late, but their offense, once again, just proved to be too much for the Yankees, even with having Camp Schlitler go out there. And Aaron Judge have yet another

late RBI. The Yankees just could not overcome Toronto's offense. It was a lot as it has been for them so far this offseason. And I fear, I fear that nobody in the America League is going to take on this Toronto Blue Jays team and be able to outgun them for sure. So, I mean, don't know what it's going to take to beat them, but right now they look very, very strong. What was also strong were the, I don't know if you want to call it Hot Takes the Razzing, just what occurred after the game. I don't know if most of you saw this, but on the broadcast while the Toronto Blue Jays were

celebrating, it was once again Big Poppy, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez, they were all tuning in to the clubhouse. They were doing interviews, and before Vladdy Jr. signed off, him and Big Poppy shared a moment of them more than once, shouting out, duh, Yankees lose. And they just kept saying it over and over again

until a mortified Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez could do nothing but sink their heads on their desk while the two celebrated. And that was amazing to me. Also, there's a picture circulating around the internet of big poppy in the home run derby with a very young Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at his side helping him out and being kind of his bat boy in the instance. And I guess once again, there is that connection between those two.

How cool would it be, though? Honestly, Damon, I know you're going to get in on this. But how cool would it be to at least have that moment with a kid who was once a child in your life? and now here he is leading his baseball team to a huge postseason victory over the Yankees and advancing to the ALCS. It's interesting how I feel like how much of or how close these, you know, this community is, the like baseball community. Because it's not like Vlad Sr. and Big Poppy were playing on the same teams.

I mean, I know they have like the Dominican connection, correct? For sure, for sure. But it's, you know, they're on rival teams, honestly. and the fact that, you know, it was you're getting so close to just your buddy's kid and helping him kind of mentor him through. It's pretty cool. And Big Poppy and Vlad Jr. are like much more alike than Vlad Sr. and Vlad Jr. are in terms of play style. So I feel like that's like a perfect mentor to have for the type of slugger that he is, you know? I love it. I also love the Mortified Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez both representing the Yankees.

at the desk. And first off, let me just say, Derek, because I said this to my roommates last night, how insane is it that you go to the baseball postgame desk and it's Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, and you're like, these are the stars of my childhood. Like, my day, my day. Yeah, you're a, your young adult life. Yeah. It's crazy.

But the, it's like, it's as if you went to the end. NFL booth after a big playoff game and it was Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brie's all sitting up there on the panel and you're like, whoa. And not that those guys were Arod was, but not that David, David Ortiz and Derek Jeter were like the best of the best at that time, but they were the stars of the MOB based off of the teams they played for, what they represented and all of that. So I think it's insane that baseball has that panel. Not to mention.

And again, I said this the other day. I feel this way about Jason Kelsey with what he's doing for the NFL. But to have somebody like Big Poppy who is having so much fun out there doing this broadcasting gig, right? Peyton Manning is probably in that same category. What him and Eli are doing with the Manning cast and just kind of being themselves feels like exactly what we want out of this. And fortunately what we get is usually guys just trying to be broadcasters, right? Yeah. Come in, be buttoned up broadcasters.

And like, we don't want that. We want Big Pop. Yeah, exactly. The tie, the Big J. journal. Yeah, the, the, the Yankees lose stuff is fun. And I mean, him being a weatherman the other day, that was delightful. All of it was delightful. Also, A-Rod having the cap for a team that he probably doesn't feel like strongly about is also a very funny thing. I feel like A-Rod has almost in a way, in a weird way, and I feel like he's, I've said this before. I feel like A-Rod is one of the more

over-hated athletes that I've been around in my lifetime. Like, he doesn't seem like a bad guy. You know what I mean? I get the idea that he's like a pretty boy and, you know, he did do that. He did have the steroid scandal. I would argue who didn't that was a big star at that time? There really wasn't too many of them. Lord knows I did. I mean, Lord knows gone. No, we don't need to talk about it. Yeah, but I just, I think it's funny that a guy that was cut from the Yankees after everything he brought them and the way that he carried them in 2009 in particular. I mean, that's maybe the biggest carry job by a single player I've seen in a postseason in my entire life. The guy was just hitting bombs every game that felt like that entire postseason. And they were so quick to disassociate. Oh, in the second that the cheating scandal happened, they were like, oh, gross, you, we had no idea. But when he was hitting bomb after bomb in 2009 in the postseason, they're like, we love A-Rod.

So to me, it's like, I find it a little bit disrespectful to A-Rod. that they like cut him at 696. They didn't let him get that 700th home run. He was kind of like ousted and made like a pariah, even though they were, they reap the rewards of his cheating when it was happening. And then, and then for him to still represent the Yankees and still care and stuff,

I think that I wouldn't feel that way personally. I, maybe he's a better man than me and more has more humility. But I think that that's crazy that like, like for me, I'd be like, if I was a run, I'd be like, duh, Yankees. lose right along. Hell yeah, baby. Well, I mean, I think our guy Bill from PHLY said it best yesterday, Damon,

and that was the fact that, like, we the fans own these teams. The players are just temporary representatives of those teams. You can talk about owners owning these teams. You can talk about corporations owning these teams. We own these teams. And I understand when a team like the Yankees wants to reap those benefits until it no longer does them any good because now that representative of the team is being seen as the whole team.

But you're right. I mean, overall, like, treating him so disrespectfully at the end of his career there, he handled it well. And he honestly does it. He handles a lot well. Like, I think that that trio gives each other a lot of crap in the best possible way when you're watching a broadcast, especially when you're watching a rain delay.

And they had to tap dance for four hours or three hours in order to get through it. And they did an excellent job, honestly. It got a little boring at times, but they definitely didn't have much to work with. there and they did their best to, you know, keep people entertained, right? So, but it's, it's New York. And the spotlight is big there. The, the, I guess the opinions are much bigger than they are in a state like Arizona, especially when it comes to their sports teams. And now we're hearing that this might also mean goodbye to Aaron Boone as the New York Yankees manager. Despite

making it all the way to the ALDS, many are speculating that the Yankees not making it to the World Series once again or winning the whole thing is somehow going to. going to cost Aaron Boone his job. And I know that there's some people in this chat that appear here regularly that would like to have a word about Tori LeVolo once again if you're firing Aaron Boone for taking his team all the way to the ALDS. I mean, but let's talk. The difference in resources between Aaron Boone and Tori LeVolo is night and day. And I think, I mean, again, what do you want out of your manager? Like baseball is so random and it is so hard to not only, you know, win a championship, but repeat. And I would say it, I would suggest it's equally difficult.

to get back to the championship game year after year. Yeah, for sure. So considering that the Yankees just made it there last year, didn't win the whole thing, but now here they are, you know, again, making it through the first round and making it to the ALDS only to get skunked here a bit by a much better Toronto Blue Jays team that proved that during the regular season. It doesn't seem like it's a fireable offense to me for the manager. However, I go to my manager's house every Sunday along with you and have a delicious

lasagna dinner. And that's totally fair. I think for me, outside perspective, and I'm not a Yankees guy. And maybe we need to bring on like talking Jake or something to ask him this question. But the, you know, it feels like Aaron Boone doesn't have the locker room the way Tori Lovolo has the Diamondbacks locker room. That might be fair. It feels like Aaron Boone is kind of a passenger. It feels like he like I think all the things that the people that hate Tori so much say about him, like it feels like that is, that does kind of apply to Aaron Boone.

But you don't hear the the same like galvanization from. from his players in the clubhouse. Like Ryan Thompson, I would die for Tori Lovolo. Like is Luke Weaver saying I would die for Aaron Boone? I don't think so. So for me, maybe that's a differentiator. Maybe I'm biased and I just love going to family dinner on Sundays. And I don't want that to stop or.

Can't say anything bad about managers on this show. I don't want to have to look into new jobs in a different city to cover Tori Lovolo's new baseball team because I go where Tori goes. but I mean, who's going to put up his Christmas lights with him if it's not you and me, David? Seriously. Seriously. So that kind of stuff, I mean, like I get it, but I feel like Aaron Boone is just, it feels like he, like he's not really, it feels like he's very much a puppet manager. Like the front office is making a lot of those calls for Yankees. I mean, we found that out about Tori Lavallo too this season, right? So that's not uncommon.

We also found out that that's not not uncommon amongst around baseball. So yeah, you're right there. And again, it might just be the expectations being so high. We here had very high expectations as well, and that's the reason why, you know, now with those expectations being so low for next year, they're still high, right? Because we're all talking about the Diamondbacks not being very good next season. We're all talking about, we had an episode just this week where we're already speculating on them not making the playoffs in 2026 and the season hasn't even started yet. But it is because next year is very important for both Mike Hazen and Tori Lovelo and you feel like neither of those guys are going to be here after next year should

the Diamondbacks have another mediocre season or honestly have a worse season than they had this year, right? Like if they finish with 70 plus wins instead of 80 plus and miss the playoffs again, I think we all know that that's the end of that tenure for them. So as much as the expectations aren't very high for next year, they are technically pretty high, probably internally. And they're probably self-high for Mike and Tori for sure. But the Diamondbacks aren't the only team in trouble. Now our sea snakes from Seattle are in trouble. The Tigers win yesterday by a score of 9 to 3, forcing a decisive game 5 back in Seattle.

Kind of hate that. Kind of hate that because it does feel like the momentum has shifted if you believe in such things as momentum. The Tigers capitalized on a huge fifth inning there, scoring nine unanswered runs after Seattle had taken an early lead. And now the Mariners have to deal with Terek Scouble, who is set to start in the decisive game five, aiming here to lead the Tigers to their first ALCS appearance since 2014.

And I just can't believe this. Really? It comes all down to this. It comes all down to Terek Scouble. I don't want to choose between these two parties. I don't want to choose between our beloved Mariners and their 33% Diamondbacks, former Diamondbacks roster. But I also don't want to root against Tarek Scouble, who is Kingman's finest, Kingman, Arizona's finest.

I mean, not hard. not a hard thing to do it is it is actually not a hard thing to do we want no it to be sad so but but also you know scoobl would be basically any anybody's finest to be fair no that's fair that's fair he's definitely Arizona's finest that's for sure that's something that we're going to get into

this off season is tell is this team going to do without its ace until the midway point and hopefully Corbyn Burns can return and be the ace because if they can't they don't replace them before then they're sunk but uh Seattle has actually been pretty good against Scoobel this year.

So they do have a chance here, but it is a decisive game five, and it is going to be very exciting for that one, for sure. Meanwhile, and that's going to be in Seattle. Our guy Jack Summers pointed out on the broadcast yesterday that the Tigers fans were booing their own team when they were down, and that's kind of pathetic, all things considered, especially considering that they came back and won that game.

But let's not, let's not. That's classic. I mean, that, that checks out with Noah, does it not? Oh, a thousand percent. Yeah, because Noah, it's over until they win, and then he'll gloat in your face. And it's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I've never seen someone switch back in porch. Jared Goff's going to blow it.

And then the Lions win. The Lions are the best. Yeah, they're going to the Super Bowl, all that kind of jazz. But a couple of other teams won to force, face off, get elimination out of their face, at least for one day. Cubs win and force a game four. Phillies win they also force a game four. Cubs won four to three. That one was very close, very down to the wire. That was a fun game to watch. Chicago erupted with a four-run first inning marking the first time both teams scored in the opening frame in each of the first three games of the series. So they've been putting up some early runs. And this time, Nico Horner did not miss a play. He made an incredible play in the ninth inning there to secure the Cubs victory and make sure that series extends to a game four there at Wrigley Field.

Meanwhile, all the road teams, road teams keep winning in the Phillies series with the Dodgers. Phillies win yesterday in L.A. Their offense finally wakes up to beat L.A. in force a game four. They won eight to two. Kyle Schwaber had two home runs, including a 455 foot blast. That got the offense going. And when I say that, I literally meant it got the offense going. There were some hilarious comments after the game.

At least I find them to be hilarious because the comments sounded very much like me and Damon here at the office talking about the Diamondbacks. Max Kepler, after the game, told reporters that Kyle Schwaber's home run felt like a revelation. And when they asked what kind of revelation or a revelation of what, he said a revelation of we're back. That's what he said. A revelation of we're back. We've never been more back. Tell the boys.

Tell the girls I'm back in town. The Phillies pitching staff did a great job of containing the Dodgers who really, their offense has not been like this. Like the Phillies still have the ability to show out like this offensively. Not to say the Dodgers don't. They have the weapons, but they haven't really been putting up these kind of offensive numbers in the playoff. So I don't know. Again, this is a series where I wished both teams lost. That would be my preference. But unfortunately, I can't make that happen. So there will be a game four there in L.A. Derek, I have a lot of thoughts on this series. A lot of thoughts on this series. I know. I'm sure you do. So last.

Last night scenes. Seeds. I mean, Dodger Stadium, silent as it can be. Oh, I loved it. Gasp at Otani, fly balls. Entity seats behind home plate. Well, but we've long talked about it. The best sound in all of baseball, a Dodgers fly out.

By far. Oh! Oh, that's right. Otani, he flew out to the warring track. Wait, hold on. The MLB, the official Twitter account of MLB basically did that. They basically did that. They put that video online.

And they were like, Otani, oh, just short or something like that. I was like, are you kidding me? You're literally doing what the Dodgers fans do? Yeah, I mean, 2BMC says it here right. Like, only time I'll root for the Phillies. I thought I was the same with you. I hope no one wins.

Can both teams lose? Then I started watching the games. And now I'm wearing Phillies red. And I hate the Dodgers so much. Powder blue. Powder blue the rest of the playoffs. I mean, not get out of the power blue. No, not the rest of the playoffs.

No, I'm sorry. Just for the rest of this series. Yeah, you are getting a little bit out of yourself. I also hate Obama. And yeah, I mean, I like shore bombs, the electric. I mean, I was sitting there last night when he was doing his postgame interview going, can we just get a DH like this guy? Please.

Who just hits bombs? Yes. I mean, even even after going, what, 047 in this series with how many strikeouts he had, it still doesn't matter because when, he comes alive, he is alive. And then he's this. He's this monster that you can't pitch. Big moments.

In a mile radius to him. Yeah. In big moments in the playoffs, every year it feels like Shorever just shows up. Like this is what he lives for. And so, I mean, I'm fully rooting for the Phillies at this point. We got Christopher Sanchez on the mound in the next one, Derek.

I'm feeling pretty good about game, chances in a game five. And here's what I'll say. It might not, we might not get the W in game five. But Obama is on the mound. And if we can force that game five, Derek, there is the opportunity that Otani. What, gets arrested on the mound?

I'm trying to think of, I don't know if I can say that or not. So I'm not going to say it. Otani is going to cry like Sasaki did earlier in the year on the mound as he gives up five earned runs and the Phillies eliminate the Dodgers. I mean, that's what dreams are made up. So that's what I'm rooting for. I don't hate that. I am also rooting for that. I can get on board with your dream for sure.

And I can get on for prison. Yeah, Adam Thomas's dream is a good one as well. So we're going to take a quick break, though, and we're going to get far more delusional. We're going to talk about if bringing Cody Bellinger back to the Valley, no, this is not a repeat episode from last off season. This is an all new episode. But we're going to talk about if bringing Cody Bellinger back to the Valley is not only a good move for the Diamondbacks, but if it makes sense and if he's a good fit. I'm going to tell you the reasons why, even though it's going to cost us a lot of money on the other side of this break. So don't you go anywhere.

unless that place you're going is rally house our asu sun devils crew is going to be out there having a very special game or show live show out of rally house at tempi marketplace do not miss that it is the place to go to not only to watch ph and x shows be filmed but also for all your favorite local arizona team gear with tens of thousands of products to shop from every time you visit a rally house you're guaranteed to find something unique new and that fits your game day vibe they have locations out there at Tempe, Mesa, and Glendale today. And if you haven't checked out Rally House for all your game needs, I can assure you

they have you covered, whether it's that new rivalry jersey for the Cardinals. I don't know if we're buying Cardinals stuff right now. Like we might still our feelings might still be too hurt to buy Cardinals gear, but you can get ready for Diamondback season next year. More importantly, you can get ready for the sudden season that's right around the corner. So check out Rally House. They only

carry Arizona sports teams. You can find your local Rally House location and shop their entire product assortment online. at rallyhouse.com today. And also CircleK is America's third stop. And it's someplace that you should all be visiting more often. I say that because if you do visit once per week and either make a five gallon fill up or purchase $5 worth of goods, you will get 10 cents off your next fill up per gallon.

And you only get that if you are a member of their inner circle. So if you haven't signed up yet, do so now. It's a free membership program. It's easy to download and get enrolled. And then after that, all you have to do, is use your phone number to get all sorts of deals at Circle K, including 79 cent polar pops, 99 cent frosters, and three for $5 on those 28 ounce Gatorade. So do not miss out on all of the promotions, whether you're inner circle or not. They have $1.50 large coffees right now. They got

buy two get one free monsters on their 16 ounce ones. And then they have a two, buy two get one free on their eight ounce redwood. So do not miss out on all of these deals. Join the inner circle for free by downloading the Circle K app today. Terms and conditions apply. at participating locations, visit circlek.com for details. All right. Well, D-backs have a lot of needs this offseason, obviously, and with their pitching staff being the priority here, we know that the Diamondbacks who have less money to spend are going to probably focus on that. And that, again, is absolutely fine in regards to how, you know, next year stacks up. But we do know that they have positional needs for sure this season.

and, of course, with two of those biggest positional needs being the fact that they have to replace Lordus Gurriel Jr. there in left field, and they also have to get a first basement to replace the non-existent one that they have now, the Diamondbacks might need to go out there and make a move. And while I don't anticipate the move is going to be as big as acquiring a free agent of Cody Bellinger's caliber, there is a lot of things that make sense about it, it or not, Killarex, who I was already saying, please don't Glaze Bellinger, LOL, dude is not worth what someone is going to overpay for him. Now, what I will say is, you might be right about that, because Bellinger is going to command quite a bit this offseason, and that's the biggest hurdle here and even considering bringing back Hamilton High School's own Cody Bellinger. But while Blaze Alexander might be a great option in left field, again, there is this one guy who is available, and he could theorize.

fit both needs. I know once again, as I said to start the show, he might not be able to play both positions at the same time, which is truly what the Diamondbacks would probably need him to do in order to afford him and in order for him to fill those positional needs they have. But Bellinger posted excellent numbers in 2025. It's his best since 2023 and his second best since his 2019 MVP season. He slashed 272, 334, 480. He had 29 home runs. He had He had an 813 OPS, and he had a war of five. So that right there, all very, very good, all some of his best numbers of his career. Bellinger is 30 years old right now, so I know his age might be a concern to some people,

and we'll get into what Spot Track thinks the contract is going to be worth, but Belanger's a good defender, and that's something that we saw this year from him out there in the outfield. He was worth plus 11 defensive run saved, plus nine fielding run value, and plus seven outs above average. That comes courtesy of our guy, Jack Summers, over at Sports Illustrated. But Bellinger is an incredibly good outfielder, and he also plays first base, which is a need the Diamondbacks have. They right now do not know what they're going to do for first base with Tyler Locklear, having the majority of the reps for the foreseeable future once he returns from his. injury, but it still sounds like they plan on going with a platoon that's going to include

Tim Tawa, going to include Pavin Smith, and most likely going to include those guys early on in the season. And quite frankly, Bellinger fills the both needs that this team has for an outfielder and a first baseman. Arizona needs, and another third thing, I guess, Bellinger fits here, is that he, they need a power back in their lineup that they don't currently have. I, for one, have already talked about how much I look forward to the Diamondbacks not trying to be a power hitting team.

I don't think they need to be. I don't think that's their identity. And I think home runs are going to come from guys like Catelle Marte, Corbyn Carroll, and Geraldo Perdomo, who are going to be the leaders of this team in 2026. But to truly add a bat of Cody Bellinger's caliber this season, I mean, feels like it's, it's the one thing that could solidify the offense in 2026 where you don't really feel like you have any concerns about that overall. And Elizabeth is booing a high school right now. So as much as she attacked me, perhaps for some of my takes about Taylor Swift, she's booing just a high

school. You're just booing a high school. I have to throw that out there in chat. Damon, though, what do you think here about Cody Bellinger's overall performance and, I mean, what he was able to do for the Yankees in 2025. I mean, is he worth the money that inevitably a team is going to have to pay pay for him? I brought up his baseball savant here, Derek, so we can kind of see where his percentile rankings were over the course of this year. And I feel like, you know, we miss this element without Jesse on full time. Yeah, that's a lot of red too. Because Jesse was Mr. Baseball savant for us. But 82nd percentile batting value, that fielding value, as you said, very high, 91st percentile. You can see the range. You can see in the arm value and and plays multiple

positions. I think from that standpoint fits the diamondbacks to a T, right? They love versatile players. They love guys that can do multiple things. Yeah. And they love guys that, you know, are high level defenders at multiple positions. So I think he fits that very well. The hitting here, you know, maybe a little bit more average in some of the more contact metrics. Yeah. Up here at the top. But I mean, a lot of the expected metrics are, average at best, right? And then his average exit be low is surprisingly low. But you kind of love to see him be in the 84th percentile for

width rate and 91st percentile for strikeouts. Like that is somebody that the Diamondbacks need on this team to help, you know, just kind of give them some good at bats and give them a chance to kind of, you know, get to some of those starting pitchers that at times we tend to see them make look entirely too good. They're swinging at early pitches or swinging at you know flying out on the first pitch there's just a lot of good at bats i think that are needed in this lineup and that's something cody bellinger could bring yeah certainly i i think he i just love the fit and you know i've talked about how much i i've just

root for people from arizona so i'm inherently biased in this but yeah you don't stop you have like everything you own has it arizona written on it somewhere even that indian welshry Yeah, even though this is a shirt from like, you know, Palm Springs, California. But it's got a little Arizona. Yeah. I mean, it's like that there, it's, it's California's version of trying to be us, frankly. But, uh, yeah, I think, I think the, the Cody Bellinger thing. It's like we've talked about it for multiple seasons now.

It feels like we have, right? Did it make sense at the 2023 trade deadline? Did it make sense in the 2024 off season? Um, and, and now you're, you're faced with another opportunity. The Diamondbacks got rid of Josh. They don't have Christian Walker. They need a first baseman. Is Cody Bellinger the first basement that they're going to come after?

I mean, he's better in the outfield. And that's frankly the truth, right? But at the same time. Yeah, I was going to say, probably not. But maybe he could provide some extra innings there. Especially Tyler Lockler is waiting a month early in the season. If Pavin Smith gets hurt again, like he battled injuries all year this year. So I'm with you, Derek.

I think, you know, he upgrades the outfield from the power hitting standpoint that they need. Right. You know, you can put Cody Bellinger in center field and you can, or left field. And you can have Alec Thomas play man center and Corvin Carroll, man right or, you know, blaze in left and Cody in center. Like there's different things that you can do with Cody Bellinger. And he just adds a lot of different versatility, I think, to the lineups that Tori can make. But this truly feels like the offseason where it makes more sense than it ever did because he's such a stark upgrade and such a stark difference on Alec and,

Jake as players, just his caliber of hitting, his power hitting. Like the Diamondbacks, I think, are very cognizant of their need to upgrade at that outfield position, especially with Gueriel Hurt for this season. And so, yeah, I love the fit personally. Well, and like you said there, right, Alec and Jake, those guys, though, if the Diamondbacks, do pursue someone like Cody Bellanour, they're going to have to get very creative with how they upgrade their bullpen. And that most likely means through trade.

or even their starting rotation, right? So most likely the Diamondbacks are going to lose one, if not both of those guys, if they do pursue a Cody Bellinger, which that might be a pro for some people, might be a con for others, but we've already discussed that most likely Alec Thomas and Jake McCarthy are going to be options to be traded away for this team due to the fact that they have plenty of those left-handed outfielders. And that is another con here for Cody Bellinger because he is one of those and they have plenty of those, right?

They do. But they don't have guns. guys that hit for power other than Corbyn, obviously. For sure, for sure. He's also played plenty of first base in his career, but again, the defensive metrics that we're looking at there, the things on his baseball sabbattech page are more about his outfield resume and how good he is out there. And he has less than a third of his career defensive innings coming at first base.

So he hasn't played first base often. He just can play it. And quite frankly, that doesn't bother me. I'm not saying that first base is an easy position to play. but I do feel like the Yankees didn't need him to play first. And so that's thus he didn't play first. But with the time of the back- It's the easiest.

It's, I mean, yeah, it is, it is, it is. It is. And that might be a chance to keep him solid throughout the contract because another con here with going after Cody Bellinger is going to be the cost. Killer X says in the chat, we turned him a little bit. He said, if you don't break the bank signing him, go for it, I guess. But that's the problem is most likely you are going to have. to break the bank to sign him. Belanger's price is going to be extremely high. Not only is it going

to be high on an annual value standpoint, but it's also going to be something that is going to be a long-term deal. Like Bellinger probably at age 30 is going to look to get a five-year plus deal at this point. I don't imagine him accepting anything less. And unfortunately, even though it happened with Corvin Burns, I don't see him offering us a hometown discount to come back here to Arizona, but you never know. I mean, I don't know that I agree with the idea that I don't see him accepting anything less because I think that the market dictates that. That's fair.

Times around for him has dictated that he doesn't get a long-term contract when he was younger. So he's proven to be a very inconsistent player over his time in his MLB career. Like he has years where he's unbelievable. He had an eight war season for the Dodgers. That's another con. He has other seasons where he kind of stayed. Thanks.

Yeah. And I think that that almost precludes him from getting those long-term deals. But what I said to you before the show was I would be comfortable giving him like a Gurriel style deal where it's three years, two years fully. The third year is like a mutual option. But if the debacks don't pick it up, they have to pay him like half the contract for that season. I think something like that seems viable and could potentially work out for both parties. but we're going to see, I mean, obviously, we talk about it all the time.

Like, Cody Bellinger would be the big move for the debacks. The Yankees might just be like, that's our sixth most important thing that we did this off season. A thousand percent. And so the resource level that is at play here is night and day. And it's very possible that a team just swoops in, signs him for an amount of money that would be our marquee signing. And that's that. But hopefully the Diamondbacks make at least one move for their lineup, I think. Yes.

that adds a legitimate hitter to their starting nine because I don't think that you can just run it back and just be like, yeah, we don't have Naylor or Gino or, you know, and we're starting Paving or Locklear at first base and like and just expect people to eat it up. No Gurriel, right? Like you're down Gurriel, Naylor and Gino going into this season. You got to find some way to get in like a, I think a high caliber star level hitter to supplement that. More importantly, how thin are they now, right? Because if you don't go out there and acquire any kind of outfielder, right, you are most likely going to have to move Blaze to left field and that's where he'll play every day,

which is fine. I'm fine with Blaze getting consistent playing time and playing in the outfield. But what happens if you have an injury out there? What happens if you do trade away Alec and Jake for relievers? Barossa time. Yeah, exactly. And I'm saying that's how thin they are. Not only are they that thin there.

They're that thin kind of everywhere. They don't even have a first baseman, Damon. they don't have a first basement. They have three. They said they have three. No, shut up. They told Gambo. No, that's not a first basement.

None of them are first basement. I mean a real first baseman, a proven major leagher that you know can play the position. And this is no disrespect to Pavin, but it absolutely is disrespect to Pave and Smith. But can I just say by the way, like great reporting by gamble by the way, no, no shots at him. I just love reading stuff like that sometimes though when when like it's like the Diamondbacks feel very comfortable with Pave and in Smith and Tyler Locklear and super utility man, Tim Tawa at first base. They believe in Smith and think that he has a lot of room to grow. Tyler Locklear, they've invested a lot.

Like, it's like it's, it feels like it's just straight from the Mike Hazen text message. Can we stop? Yeah, can we stop capping on the organization's part? Trust me. I like, I know what it's like. I'm there. But at the same time, no one's truly asking you to do that. However, they also don't mind going on and completely putting a player on

blast like they did with Cotel Marte and making it out like all the Diamondbacks problems were from him missing a baseball game. Crazy stuff. But anyway, Damon, I have an idea how they can make Cody Bellinger work and hear me out here. Deferred payments, baby. Deferred payments. At this point, how much money has Cody Bellinger already made in his career? I'm not suggesting he's the highest paid baseball player ever. He's not on a Vladimir Jr. contract or anything like that. But I'm sure he has enough money. money to sustain him for the foreseeable future with the millions and millions of dollars he's made. What if the Diamondbacks tantalize him with an offer to defer these payments down the road? Let's kick the can. Let's let's let's let's let's do this thing, right? You know, I'm just, I'm just saying. Let's, let's Bobby Bonilla this way and get you on this squad. The Diamondbacks have been really deferring a lot of contracts recently. Ken Kendrick's been one of the bigger deferred payment owners in the league and since he started spending more. And I think, you know, if, If they're going to allow teams to do that, I'm glad that we're taking advantage of it.

That's the game. That's the game you have to play. And then you can find an investment firm to put that money towards and make money off of your money while it's waiting to be paid out. You're the exact same thing. There's no reason why other teams can't do what the Dodgers are doing. Yeah. And inflation too, right?

Like, you know, the Dodgers paying Owing Otani, you know, $40 million in 50 years is way less money than what $40 million costs right now at this exact day. Right? Like that's how much. money works. So I feel like, you know, the, let's keep it taking advantage of the deferred payments. And I like what two BMC said here. Like, let's let's get another solid bat. Let's focus on another two to three starter. And then a couple proven relievers. And that should be the, I think that should be the blueprint for the off season is one proven solid bad. Just two starters, right? Two starters, two

relief arms and a bat. That's five players you bring in. Yeah. I think he's saying a two, two, three starter, like an SP2 or an SP3, like a middle rotation to upper rotation guy. Well, I still don't know what they're going to do for two of those spots, Damon. Quite frankly, I'm not trying to, like, what are they going to do? I don't know who they're going to call up.

I don't know who they're going to call upon if they don't go out and add two pitchers via either free agency or through trades to the starting rotation. Because, I mean, otherwise, they're going to be looking at a Cole Drake or a Mitch Brat. What is Mayna's return going to be? Is he out for all next year as well? Who's that? Mena. No, Christian Mena is going to be back.

Christian Mena should be back. He should be back to start spring training. I kind of like Mena. I do too. And again, it's not. I mean, he was 21 when he got his debut. That's nuts for a starting pitcher, especially one that I think is, is, correct me if I'm wrong, he's a foreign player, right?

Like he didn't play high school baseball here. or college baseball here. So being 21, pitching in the pros already, I think is nuts. The idea here, though, is that you got to worry about what any of these guys are. And that goes for AJ Puck, Justin Martinez, and even Corbyn Burns. You have no idea what they're going to be returning from these surgeries. We just assume too often that pitchers are going to be able to come back from these devastating arm surgeries,

elbow surgeries, and be exactly what they were. In some cases they are, but in some cases they're not. Yeah. don't really know, you know. And so that that's really what it comes down to. Spottrack for Cody Bellinger projects a six-year contract worth north of $180 million. Jesus. And again, that would be, I think, I think that would pretty much price us out. You know, again, that seems crazy. Hopefully, if the Diamondbacks can get them to agree to something more like what you suggested, Damien, maybe that same annual value, but maybe a three-year contract instead

of a six year. But we're going to need to figure out a way to pay him and a lot of people. And again, I mean, I don't know how this team is going to do it. I also don't completely disagree with Killer Rex, believe it or not, because there's also this factor of Tori Lavello still being the manager of this team. And while I do want to believe that what we saw in August and September is more indicative of Tory managing and this team being who they really are, they're true, you know, their true selves. I just don't know how next year is going to go for him. I don't know how it's going to go as a manager. And I just, I feel like at this point, you know, between hearing that the front office kind of has more of a role than any of us thought in Tori's managing,

mixed with the results in the years of ups and downs that we've had, I don't know how much Tori is even going to trust himself in this final year of his contract. I don't know. I don't know. I don't I don't love this version of Derek that I've gotten since the Diamondbacks have gotten eliminated where you bring up, you know, I don't know how well the Diamondbacks would have even done against the Dodgers in a playoff series. I'm kind of glad we didn't make it. I don't even know if the Debeck should suit up for a game next season because they have no chance of making the playoffs before the season even starts. It's like, Derek, don't let go of the rope. Who happened to you? Who is an am I?

Yeah. Like, seriously. The line, I don't hold the line. No, you do not. You let go of the line a long time ago, brother. I never even walked up to the line. I'm standing over here, criticizing people who I think aren't holding the line properly,

meaning just saying how that's going to slip right out of their head. It's obviously going to slip. Here's the deal. Tori Lovolo and his teams do better when they are counted out and disrespected consistently. So when you go into next season, not expecting them to have a super high caliber year, That's what I'm trying to do. I'm even this, this shame upon them.

I get it. I get it. I get them feel bad about themselves. In a way, we are the talking heads that get these takes off that drive the team to be better. So we almost need to. Go listen to the preseason stuff from last year when we were talking about, oh, what are they going to do with all these pictures?

They got eight starting pictures. Hand us the NL right now. I, I mean, I get it. And we've known from time to time, Diamondbacks players watch this show, Derek. If one is watching right now, we don't believe in you guys at all.

In fact, you stink. And there's a zero percent chance you make playoffs next year. That was him saying it, Jerry. Not me. Don't forget. Jerry is our biggest fan. So you're a little fake for Jerry to be watching. But, I mean, no, you're right.

I mean, I got to do what I got to do. We think that nothing good is ever going to happen to you again. So would you please have something good at it? I hope they clip this, Derek, and they put it. at the beginning of one of those videos where they're like, no one believed in us. And then it's just like stupid Damon talking in the back. Oh, yeah.

You guys have a zero percent chance to make playoffs. Over a shot of Paulinger to drive it back to you before. Getting a home run. All right. Well, that's good times. Good times to think about we're going to actually speculate or not speculate. We're going to take a little trip down memory lane, talk about some other good times. Maybe some not so good times that happened on this week, during this week,

historically for the Arizona Diamondbacks on another edition of Throwback Thursday. We're going to do that on the other side of this break. Don't you go anywhere? You're watching the PHA Next Diamondback show. Well, no one does it better than Heel of Resorts and Casinos. It's my favorite place to go just because I love not only nights out on the town but staycations. And you can just combine those into one and not even leave the resort you're staying at. And if you don't want to go there for a staycation, it is a great place for a night out on the town. They have over 4,500 slots and live table games.

and they also have some amazing sport books that are the place to go and watch sports. Huge screens, delicious food, and most importantly, that little paper slip in your hand. Go big and go home a winner. From upscale to approachable, from casual to classy, from bar to bar none,

they have a selection of dining options that are always in good taste and always perfect for after you've won on red over there at the roulette table. You do you at Heela River Resorts and Casinos. Visit playatheela.com for more details. And of course,

everyone needs a checking account. It's how you can get a room over there at either at Eliver Resorts and Casinos. But if you don't have one already, make sure to get one that gives back to you. Or if you're looking for a new checking account, get one that has benefits. Mountain America Credit Union's My Style Checking Account has perks

just for you, including restaurant deals, mobile phone protection, telehealth access, and loan rate discounts. They offer offers on travel and events and so much more. So do not miss out on all of the deals you can get. from your checking account with Mountain America's My Style checking account.

Make My Style for your lifestyle at Mountain America Credit Union. Visit macu.com slash my style to apply. Insured by NCUA. Membership is required based on eligibility. Some benefits require no cost registration activation terms, conditions, and exclusions to apply. All right, Damon. Well, it is time for another edition of Throwback Thursday. And whenever we talk about Throwback Thursday in October, of course,

it's going to be some good memories from past years when we, had some good luck, had some good things happen to us, and also a memory of some of the bad times. But good, good times and bad times regardless, the fact that this team has already so many playoff memories in their short history is a very good thing. And I mean, this goes back to the first 100-win season in team history, which was just the second season this team existed. On October 9th, on this day, in 1999, Arizona's season ended when. when Todd Pratt homered in the bottom of the 10th inning, in the bottom of the 10th, my goodness,

to give the New York Mets a 4-3 victory in game four of the National League Division series way back then in 1999. Meanwhile, we do have some good memories in October 14th, in fact, in 2001, the DeBacks defeated the Cardinals in game five of the NLDS to advance to the NLCS. And I think many of you remember how that sees. or that postseason run eventually went. A lot of magical things happened there in 2001. In 2007 on October 6, the Diamondbacks completed their National League Division Series sweep

with a 5-1 win over the Cubs to advance to the NLCS. And again, that was some fun times, Damon. But, of course, we do have the loss to the brewers, which we'll never forgive them for, and we all hate Ryan Braun for back on October 7, 2011. They lose the NLDS game 5 there. Again, once again, losing a game in the playoffs in 10 innings. They lost 3 to 2 in Milwaukee. You're right.

I will truly never forgive them for that. I know you won't. I know you won't. Like I'm solely rooting for the Cubs pretty much because of Ryan Braun. I'll never forget. Hey. It says here, according to reports on October 9th, Legend Max was also bored.

My goat. Let's give it up for my goat. Max, happy birthday, buddy. Happy birthday, man. Shots on Damon, I think. I don't know.

That's how that works. Beer's on Max? Not that Max. I'll buy a shot. I'll buy a shot. Max, hit me up. Send me your Venmo, Max. This,

I mean, this guy's here in all of my shows all the time. I love him. He's literally family. And Killer Rex here is being a moron once again, pretending like he's dumb, I guess, are actually being dumb because he is saying this team has so many playoff memories.

Yeah, they do. This is a short existence of this team. Go look at the Tampa Bay Rays playoff memories. Not very long, not very many of them. But I'll tell you, on this day, or I guess this week, October 7th through the 11th, 20203, it was one of the best memories in Diamondbacks history, in playoff history. It was when the Diamondback swept the dollar. Rogers 3-0 in the NLDS back then to clinch their first NLCBURT since 2007.

The Diamondbacks earned the 11 to 2 victory in game one to mark their first NLDS victory since that series against the Brewers. And then their first NLDS road wins since October 6, 2007 at the Cubs. The D-BACs six runs in the first inning marked a franchise high in the postseason. And that was the first time in postseason history in which the first first, five batters for one team reached base and then scored in the first inning. That is courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau. So that series also, well, that gave me the greatest memory at Chase Field that I'll ever have. Like seeing them win in so many other occasions was so much fun.

But being in the crowd while the Diamondbacks were in the midst of hitting those four home runs in a row was one of the most amazing things that I've ever been a part of. So again, awesome. And yeah, no, I'm this close to throwing Killer X out of the podcast chat. I'm this close. I'm just going to throw it out there, Damon. I mean, honestly, I might hang the Swept the Dodgers one time. I might.

Like, we're going to hang the, ruin the Phillies banner. Why wouldn't we hang the Swet the Dodgers one time ban? They can go right up next to each other. I'm absolutely going to do it. I'm absolutely going to do it. I have no shame in that. Yeah. Are we, Derek, are we realistically ever going to be a franchise that is perennially making playoffs year in and year out?

No. No. As long as baseball continues to give advantages to big market teams and teams that have more spending power, then unfortunately, that's probably just not realistically going to be the case. But that means that we're going to take our wins when we get them. And when we beat these big market high payroll teams, it feels great, man. Yeah. And if not, go on and root for another team. Yeah. I don't. I'm not trying to.

Am I, is that not the fan experience? I'm not trying to be like, love it or leave it, right? I'm not. I'm saying, though, that if you, if you expect it to be that thing, Damon just claimed, it's never going to be that. Is that not the fan experience, though? I mean, like, all, as much as we didn't win and I'm Mr. like, you know, that's loser talk, like, I'll never forget that World Series run. We won the National League. It was incredible, man. We easily could have won the World Series, and it hurts, but. And Paul, Seawald, it's like, come on, bro. But at the same time, you know, it's like... Christian Walker, too, by the way. You can say that about it. That's another thing. But, I mean, I still have positive feelings looking back on that. Yeah, me too. And I mean,

we always will because it was the greatest hug. Either one of us have experienced, David, when you leapt into my arms. I've never had another man leap into my arms before. So that alone is the reason I'll never forget it. But Jason Armstrong in the chat says the debacks don't need to make payoffs every year, playoffs every year. But they need to need. to do something about settling expectations or they need to do better about setting expectations. And that, the way you said it is so perfect there even though I botched it in trying to read it back. The Diamondbacks tried to set expectations.

They tried to set a standard is what Tori tried to relabel it as. And that didn't work, quite frankly. And I mean, that was for me one of the biggest, like, nice tried Tory moments in my time of covering him as managers simply because it felt so forced and it felt like you were trying to do something to like the expectations were there man you can't call them something else you can't pretend like they're not you just went to the world series the expectation the logical expectation by human beings that are fans of this team is that they'll take the next step and that doesn't happen in sports it doesn't happen a lot of times in sports a lot of times teams peak and that was the highest they got and then

they try to get back to the mountain top and they never reach that level again right and again that's the reason why fans want change because they feel like the only way for a team to continue to adapt and reach that mountaintop again sometimes is with new leadership, new players, just a change. You can't do it if you're doing it the same exact way. It's the reason why people are not excited about this deback season in 2026 for sure. But it's too early to say that I would argue. No, I'm saying though that right now where we're in the state that we're in and looking forward, it's hard to be excited about next year. People, even, even, even with how bad things have gone for the Suns, people are pumped.

They're pumped because this is going to be a new team and we don't know what to expect out of it. I think the Suns are going to be much better than people think. And not to say like I think they're going to make playoffs, but they're over under right now is like 32 wins. 31 and a half wins. Yeah. Like that I think that, you know, they're going to run a fun system. They're going to, you know, lean on Devin Booker. Like they should be able to be a 33 to 38 win basketball team.

I think the debacks are, or, you. in an even better position. Like they, they have, you know, and Jesse brought it up on our show, right? Like that trio of Cotel, Perdomo and Corbin.

Those are the stars. That's a top five trio of hitters in baseball, man. Those are the superstars that you need to lead the team. Absolutely. You have a core that you build around because the pieces that you build around a core can change, right?

It's finding the right formula of the role players that are going to make, that they're going to help that core win. And they have to do their part as well. but those guys don't need to be signed to long-term deals and don't need to be here forever in order to make this team stay competitive from year to year. It's about adapting and finding those role players that can come in here. Diamondbacks thought they found that in guys like Jock Peterson,

and they found it in Randall Gritchick. And unfortunately, those guys didn't necessarily work out, even though they contributed and were good here. But right now, they're in a place where they have, you know, some actual positional needs to address that they might not have the ability to, quite frankly. And I mean, that's where the whole Cody Bellinger thing probably gets derailed here overall. But in order for this team to get to a point that satisfies someone like Killer Rex, satisfies some of those people that want those World Series banners and wants this to be a perennial powerhouse year after year,

it does take for a team like the Diamondbacks, a little bit of luck, right? They need to draft that superstar guy like Corbyn Carroll that goes from a mid first round guy to being one of the best players in baseball. that those type of moves are going to be the only way the Diamondbacks can get better. And I'll tell you one of those moves did happen. And that was with the Merrill Kelly trade, which I feel like is a kind of a disaster for the Rangers. But before we talk about that, I did want to let you guys know about our PHNX Cardinals crew being out there at Chicken and Pickle and Glendale before the Cardinals take on the Packers for that game on October 19th and 11. I believe you said you will be there. I will be there. I will be there.

I'm going to be out in Glendale a lot. the real sell. The Friday before, I'm going to be out there for Bert Kreisher. I had like third row tickets to see Bert take his shirt off and be hilarious. Now I'll be out there doing the tailgating thing for sure on Sunday morning. So make sure to join us for that. We'll have PHNX merchandise giveaways, yard games, drink specials and more. Just head on over to go phtonx.com slash events to RSVP for this free event just so we can get a headcount, know how much space we will need. But come on out. Chicken and pickle is amazing. You can play pickleball, indoor, outdoor while you're there. They have yard

like I said, they have yard games. They have all sorts of fun. Giant TVs everywhere and plenty of space for you and your entire crew to come out there and tailgate with us. But I did want to give you guys before I get out of here an update on that trade that I was talking about. And we got our fall guys segment ready to take off. I once again, I'm going to be your fall guy at Arizona Fall League Baseball.

I will actually be out there in about 30 minutes to outdoor baseball in person. I cannot wait. I'm jazz. Weather is great. It's a little warm still. Needed to cool off just a tad, but I can't wait to be out there. In fact, Diamondbacks pitcher David Hagamon is on the mountain today for the Salt River Rafters. It's a big reason why I'm pumped to get out there to see him get the start. Probably won't last very long.

That's how these Fall League games go, maybe two or three innings. Are you going to wear your Rafters hat? Oh, I don't know if I'm allowed to in the press box. I'll just wear a Rafter shirt underneath this. Do you think that, you know, like cheering in the press box is that they allow it in AZ Fall League? I should go crazy. Yeah, fist pumping. I should go in the press box and just be the loudest fan.

Come on, baby. The entire stadium. No, I actually do like sneaking down and getting a better seat. I'll try to get behind home plate or something. Yeah, I know you do. That's why I asked. But I mean, man, in one season, it's one season in the Rangers system between rookie complex league and low A hickory, Hagan men had a 2.82 ERA and 8 starts and an opponent average of 188.

So I'm excited about what this guy could be. He was selected. in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of West Virginia by the Rangers. Speaking of which, what a disaster that trade was for the Rangers. They gave the Diamondbacks in that Merrill Kelly trade. The Diamondbacks now number one overall pitching prospect in Cole Drake and two other guys that are ranked in the top 30 in Mitch Bratt and David Hagamon. And all that just for the Rangers to get two months of Merrill Kelly, what, five starts out of him

and for them to miss the playoffs. And for him to potentially return to us. And for him to just come back to Arizona, maybe. Or elsewhere. Or elsewhere. I really feel that the only way that trade is valuable for them is if Merrill resigns with the Rangers. And I'm not even sure if they want that. They might not be very thrilled.

I mean, his results were fine, but the Rangers didn't do a great job when he was out there on the mound. And I think he only had one win, if I'm not great. Or if I'm not mistaken. But yeah, we will see what happens there long term, especially with maybe Merrill Kelly coming back to this team. But I got to go watch baseball. So I'm going to get out of here. We thank you guys so much for being here. Big shout out to Damon, of course.

Always miss him on Wednesdays. Like, no, I know he needs days off, but I want to somehow veto him having ever any days off. But, of course, you can follow us on Twitter. I'm at K-Ur-N-X-K-man with a K. Follow me. Follow the account for updates from Arizona Fall League. Most importantly, follow Damon. He's a Damon dog with a DAW-G.

We are all Damon's dogs, bark, bark. Our show is at Ph.NX underscore D-Backs. as always, all roads lead to at PHNX underscore sports on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. We thank you guys so much for your time. We will see you tomorrow with another 12 p.m. show. We're going to see if any baseball teams got eliminated by that point. And until then, you guys keep it dialed in here. Like I said, for more on the Arizona Fall League.

We should have some interviews out there from maybe David Hagamon, perhaps Shrey Jameson, and more. So keep it locked right here. Until tomorrow, have yourselves a wonderful evening. Enjoy yourselves. Enjoy your day. And remember, kids, baseball is fun. but it's so much more fun when you bring Cody Bellinger home.