Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Examining how Alex Bregman is immediately impacting the Cubs’ clubhouse (Hour 1)

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris opened their show by examining how newly signed third baseman Alex Bregman is already making an impact in the Cubs' clubhouse. After that, they discussed expectations for Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga this season. Later, they reacted to White Sox general manager Chris Getz's gaffe regarding whether one of his players is a switch-hitter.

Make money from your podcast with the Odyssey Creator Lab. You create the show. We bring the advertisers. Apply now at Creators.odicy.com. The views and opinions of Laila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grody should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies, literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey.

The sports thoughts of Rahimi Harrison Grody may change at any time. It's just sports. Gay thanks. Bye. Rahimi Harrison Grody. 10 to 2 on 1043. The score. Three-time Rising Star. Modis, Moise, thanks for coming on.

No problem. Thank you guys for having me. All right, first things first. I've gotten a hot news tip, Modis. I hear that you like to have some food after shoot around. What's your go-to to get the hotel spread going? It depends on what time it is. If it's in the morning, I'm going with four eggs with cheese, probably sausage, and some pancakes.

I love pancakes. I mean, it's got love pancakes. Load them with butter, syrup. I mean, you really load those pancakes. up. I'm not going to lie. I don't, I've never had butter on my pancakes. What? I don't know. Is it good? What did you just say? Wait, what do you do? This is important news here. I go, I just go with a syrup. That's it. I happen to know everything there is to know about maple syrup. I love maple syrup. I love maple syrup on pancakes. I love it on pizza. I like, take maple syrup and put a little bit in my hair when I've had a rough week. What do you think holds it up?

Now, how much crap have you gotten throughout from your family growing up? It's like, come on, young modest. A little bit of butter and you're like, no thanks. No meat. No leftovers. No butter. We never had butter for the pancakes in my house when we were younger. That means you're a healthier household. That's what I'm hearing here. Modis. You're young and can burn a lot of calories, man.

Like, for those of us who can't, we need you to try to mix it up a little. You know what? That's what I might start doing. I might start doing it from this day moving forward. They hooked me up. What's with all the butter? I'm shaving with it. And you know what I discovered?

You can eat it? No. My face feels so good. I'm going to use it all over my buddy. Lila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on Chicago Sports Radio

104.3, the score. This hour on 104.3, The score is brought to you by Cars for Kids. This is Rahimi, Harris, and Grody. Thank you for joining us on this Thursday, whether you're listening to us on the score. See what I did there? Whether you're listening to us on 670,

1043, YouTube, Twitch. What are you laughing about? Odyssey app. I'm just thinking of all the different ways you can consume the product. You can. And we appreciate you doing it. I like to say 670 for distance, 1043 for local. You know, that's kind of how, that's my formula, according to everybody's science experiments that they've done for us where they test the signal strength. 1043 for between the ferns and other taller inanimate objects. Next to our building. That's always my biggest example. We didn't have that before. So we're happy to have you.

And yeah, tomato's boozell is here. That is an all-time Tyler Beaterbaugh Seinfeld episode where Kramer's tanning and butter and then somehow he gets involved in the Parmesan and the next thing you know is being viewed as a chicken. It all comes together. Now doesn't it? Yeah, he was like basing himself in a big old tub.

It's very disturbing. Is that the Kitty Rogers Roosters episode too? I think so. Keep me honest on this. You know my Seinfeld game isn't the best. So I know we've got textures who have them. So 312, 64, 64, 67 is our number. And yes, I think that, I don't, I think it was the Kenny Rogers Roosters episode, I think.

I, it's been so long since I've seen a Seinfeld episode, alone like a specific can remember the details of it. It's like, it's tough. After, after a couple days ago where we got the Dolores rhyming names, I feel like I've really got to up my game here. That was hilarious to read all those texts. Not safe for work by any means, but that's why we. we get the fun job. In the meantime, it's baseball season. Like, how many times this, this week have we gotten a text or something or a comment? And it's like, why are you guys talking about football? It's baseball season. And I'm like, it is. But not everybody was there yet.

Why are you reading my text from Matt Spiegel? I'm joking. I'm joking. No, Matt was like scratching his neck during the Dave Chappelle, like, got any more of that baseball season video? Got any more of that spring trading video? And he doesn't even want necessarily like home runs and batting practice. He's like, I'll just take a nice sunrise in Arizona Fall League. Like, show us what the guys are doing at 6 a.m. in the morning, getting that early work in. See, and like even you, your fall football brain is still there because you said Arizona Fall League unconsciously. Yeah. That's because we're so used to it. If I'm talking to Brad Biggs, I'm in football mode.

I do love it when Biggs breaks out of Sox thoughts, though. They're so good. There's a lot of thoughts about what's going on with the Sox. We'll be talking about that at 1045. Yes, we will. And in the meantime, we've got to talk about the Cubs new edition. And I think you hear this often. You know, we hear, oh, you know, like so-and-so's a leader.

They are going to do all these things to help. They're going to bring their eye, their expertise. And I do think that that is true whenever you bring in a guy like Alex Bragmerter, even when you bring in a veteran, like say, and I'm going to use this name, Ryan Presley, there's always discussions that can be had about your game, you know? And like remember the conversation Ian Hap had with Presley where he talked about what he was seeing as a hitter and his slider. And that kind of stuff goes on all the time in a baseball clubhouse. I'm not going to lie.

When you said Ryan Presley, that was not number one or two on my bingo card. I thought you were going to say the guy drafted directly ahead of Alex Bregman in Dansby Swanson. And then my second. Oh, that's their first. Dansby's spring training. Danzby Swanson. But look, my second guess even was, I don't know, the guy who's one world. series and also played with Alex Breggman, Kyle Tucker, because that happened last year.

Right. And that is it. You know, a lot of guys talk ball. They like to talk about what they're seeing out of their teammates or things they pick up. I think that's just part of a natural process that happens. And you and I have both hosted baseball and pregame shows of plenty with former baseball players. And what are they doing? The same thing. They're like, oh, you know, so-and-so's doing this on this pitch or I'm seeing him do this with his swing. That happens in a clubhouse. And I like that we romanticize it. don't think it has to be done to be a leader. But it is something when you hear about how Alex Bregman, even knowing all of that,

is already making such an impact in the Cubs Clubhouse. There's reports with the athletic. Ken Rosenthal wrote about it this morning. Our Bruce Levine is in Arizona. Here's what he had to say about Bregman already getting to work before the man even actually had to be there. There's no more impact that you can even imagine from a guy that was in, that's been in camp two days, then Alex Bregman and the Chicago Cubs. He's going locker to locker, talking about each guy, knowing guys, even though he hadn't met them personally, talking about matchups that he's had against them on the field, talking to Hobie Milner yesterday,

telling him there's a couple of different takes that you can clean up that we were using to pick up your stuff. when we played you. And those type of things are so impressive to hear that this guy is a coach on the field as well as being an all-star caliber third baseman. I love hearing that from Brad. It is something that Ken Rosenthal had touched on as well, how Alex Bergman is making his new teammates better. And I think there's a fine line between like, oh, you're doing this wrong and, oh, hey,

here's something I saw. And what I immediately thought of was Alex Bruegman was a shortstop. in college at LSU. And I feel like he still goes about his business in that way. You know, like still a leader on the field, even though he's at third base. But that kind of go about your business attitude, scouting reports, learning everything he can, be a sponge, reflect what you know, share information, that type of thing. The biggest thing for me is I understood Kyle Tucker's role on a championship team before he

joined the Cubs. And you can say the same about Ryan Presley. He's out here recording the final out of a World Series. That tells you, like, these guys have important roles on teams who did what the Cubs are aspiring to do. And frankly, what every Major League Baseball team that's out here investing in its team is trying to do. And that's win it all, not just go to the playoffs, but win it all.

But the tone of Alex Bregman in his even introductory press conference was very different than the first time we heard from Ryan Presley, the first time. time we heard from Kyle Tucker. Frankly, it reminded me a little bit, but it went over the top because I remember when Danesby Swanson was brought in as a free agent with the Cubs. This was more similar to that, but still dissimilar in that Alex Breggman was letting you know from jump, I am here to elevate every single player around me. I'm not just here to play third base and get at bats and try to put up a five plus war.

No, no, no, no. we have to make sure everybody on this team gets better than they were last year. Funny, Marshall, that you mentioned that introductory press conference from Alex Bregman. Let's go back to that introductory press conference you just mentioned, and Jed Hoyer talking about what Alex Bregman wanted to do immediately after he got here. Alex is going to be humble on this, but we didn't ask him to do this. And I think within two days of signing, he had asked for reports on every player and what they're working on to make sure that he was talking about the right things with those players.

He asked for a meeting with all of the minor league staff that's in Arizona to talk to or hitting philosophy to make sure he was talking about the right things. He had already called almost all of our players to talk to him. So these are the things that he's already talked about. And actually another thing, he came to my office yesterday and he said, hey, I hope you're okay. I committed to the WBC to play in May. I hope you're okay with that.

And I was like, you know, sure, of course. And he's like, don't worry, I'll come in in the morning before we have workouts and make sure I'm with the guys. And so it isn't just a, it's in four or five days he's been a cub. Like there's already been like, you know, countless examples of things he's working on that no one's asking to do, but that's how he thinks about his role. It's not just about getting his workouts in. It's about making sure he's integrated with the entire team.

Hey, Alex, can you tell the rest of us about the Cubs team hitting philosophy starting in the minor leagues? I would like to know. It's kind of crazy that he not only requests all the information, he takes it in, but then, according to Bruce and others, when he gets to spring training, he immediately starts applying it to individuals and letting them know, here are your tells, here's what I am seeing. How can I help you? What do you need? it's going to be interested to see how he infiltrates is the wrong word. I don't feel like he's assimilating the cubs. I feel like the cubs are assimilating to him.

I think infiltrates might be the right word. You can infiltrate with positivity. You can infiltrate with production. Can you not? I guess. Let's look. Let's look it up. There was a dictionary.

Hold on. There was a dictionary definition word we didn't get to yesterday that you were like, I want to read this out loud in the dictionary. Oh, I wish I remembered what it was. Yesterday feels like a long time ago. I'm not going to lie to you guys. You were correct. Go ahead.

No, you said it was a long day. Oh, that's what you were saying. I was correct about, yes. It was just a long time ago. What happened was I watched that Bulls game last night. It was like a pallet cleanser, and I forgot about everything that happened before that Bulls game kind of had to reset my mind.

It was a good pallet cleanser or a bad pallet cleansing. You know what? Sometimes a pallet cleanser is just a pallet cleanser, good or bad. It's like, have you ever, do you remember the first time you had Malorts? Yes. It's a palate cleanser. No matter what you were eating or drinking before, all you remember is the malort and the feeling.

And then by the time you get rid of that thought of the malort, because you didn't know what you were getting into, the first time you ever had malort. Then now you're a whole, you don't even remember before the malort. That's what the Bulls was last night. It really was. Yes. The Bull's rest of the season might be a shot of Malort.

We didn't get into that with Modis. I don't know if Modis is dumb, Malort. I'm assuming he does. He's a age. He's 21. He's 100% probably done Mallor. Yeah. 100% probably is not a thing.

That docs a down to 80. 99.9% likelihood. 69% of the time it works every time. This smells like the inside of a baby's diaper. This smells like the inside of a fake leg. Infiltrate either to gain access to, oh, it does say surreptitiously. And gradually an organization place, et cetera. especially in order to acquire secret information.

But see, I don't think it's secret information. I think that's where it really jumps. And that's why I said infiltrate and realized that's not the word I'm looking for here because he's not looking for secret information. He's looking for whatever information is made available to him and he's going to do the most with it. Well, that's it. It's like, hey, not only do you get me, you get my brain and you get our scouting reports. And there are pictures on the Cubs who have a pre-existing relationship with Alex Breggman,

like Phil Maton was just with the Rangers. You know, he obviously has a long history in the league. He also has a history of facing the Astros. So he was quoted in the Ken Rosenthal article talking about facing that lineup. He said, all right, he said the paranoia was setting in a little bit. All right, I really need to deal this in, dial this in, clean it up. I just remember even in game, really working on it with Bregman, Correa, and Maldonado. You know, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Martin Maldonado.

It was just like get my glove angle a little bit better, so I'm hiding pitches from the guy at second base. The concept of understanding who you're working with and why, and then how a ball comes to you in the infield. That's something that I feel like the Astros have put in so much research into, just having covered that organization for as long as I did, the concept of how the ball gets to you in the infield and how you can use that.

The seconds matter, you know, the nanoseconds matter. And that kind of knowledge that he has organizationally, I think is going to really help as well. No, I'm, again, this is probably one of, it's not my top thing, but it's one of the things I'm most interested in is to see the Alex Bregman effect. We saw the Kyle Tucker effect for a good two months before he got hurt, and people need to remember, Alex Bregman played less games and had less at bats than Kyle Tucker last year. And that's, he only played 114 games last year, but he was productive in those 114 games.

And he's had durability, even if you look at the previous two seasons. where he played a bunch of games. So that's not really the issue here. The issue is, hey, can we make sure Alex Bregman is as fresh as he needs to be at his elderly age in sports terms? And I think Craig Counsel is going to do a great job managing that because Craig Counsel, that's what he does. He manages.

And that's when you're leaning into the guy, you're paying all the money to keep everything in order. Well, and frankly, you know, I go back and forth with this too, and I'm sure you do to, having covered baseball, is so much. many times you're you're asking yourself well if if this veteran hitter phrased it this way to this younger player you know like Alex Bergman talking about PCA for example and and helping him with his approach to hitting and then you're asking yourself well where's where's the heading coach and all of this where are the assistant coaches I think the the thing is that was sometimes it just takes a

different voice to unlock that for somebody else you know but it's something I think about often when it comes to how so many times, like the people who approach hitting the best way or are sometimes the players who are still in the clubhouse as players. And they'll share that info. Yeah, you know a guy is your contemporary or maybe just a little bit older than you and he's been there, done that. The ears are wide open and so is the mind, more importantly, because you can listen, but are you going to absorb what he is preaching to you? I think this, this team has shown they're excited to have Alex Breggman as a part of their team. So it's positive infiltration with Mallort.

Palet cleanser, always. And listen, after the first time I had Malort, never again was it the type of palate cleanser that it was the first time because I didn't know what was coming. Had no idea. I tasted elder flour the first time. Would you taste the second and the third and the fifth time? Pain. But accomplishment.

Because you had done the thing. Yeah. And like, every other. Every now and then you're just like, oh, I haven't had a shot of Mallort in a while. Better get on that. I am not. I just want to make sure that we understand there is a line between us and our thoughts on that. I am good if I never do another shot of Mallort or really anything for the rest of my life.

I can't even tell you the last I'm had alcohol. It was two weeks ago for me. I was at my friend's wedding in Mexico. Oh, that's different. It was good times. But that's why I don't do dry January. Like, I don't drink enough to have dry January be necessary. I want a drink it's in January.

That's happening. Remind me to bring this up with Clay. He did try January. He might still be going. Clay loves diets. Like any sort of like challenge, any sort of, yeah, he does. And I say that being just about Clay. I'm not saying that's something you should do.

You do you. That's what's most important. On Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, The Score. We broadcast live from our scores Hyundai Studios, brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers. We have two signals for you to choose from 670 and 1043. We have Twitch that you can join as well.

Twitch.tv slash the score Chicago. We are on YouTube. YouTube is also the score Chicago. Ray Diaz, Tyler Beaterbaugh are our producers. Brandon Fryer helps us out. Grant Leader helped us out yesterday and I forgot to shout out Grant. So he gets one today. We also have Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis,

our video and social team working for you. Next, we will continue with the Cubs talk because pitchers and catchers have reported. So how do we figure out what to do about the guy who got a raise because he was smart? But maybe still has to be managed a little bit better. We'll talk about that next. Looking for something smart, soulful, and full of heart? I'm Jen Hatmaker, host of For the Love, the podcast where we talk about what really matters. Love and family, faith and purpose.

Every week, I'm joined by incredible guests. for honest conversations that invite all of us to live with more intention, more laughter, and more connection. Join us on For the Love wherever you get your podcasts. Rahimi Harris and Grotie. Midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, The Score. Leaded first by Jackson Merrill, the pitch. Swind a miss. Strike three, and that's out number one. Excellent pitch by Shoda as he goes at the breaking ball. He's not having a great feel. for that split, so he goes with a little slower hook,

throws it down and in, and Bogart's really not ready for that pitch, well out front of it. The dagger for Shoda? What are we doing here? We're getting out of control. This is Rahimi Harrison Brody on 104 to score, and now my hockey brain is combining with my baseball brain, and I'm still not over football brain,

and I don't know what names are going to come out of my head, and I apologize in advance. but one thing we do know well is that Shoda Imanaga was the recipient of savvy timing and a very interesting contract structure. Shoda had an option. We were all trying to figure out what it was at the end of last season. It was a mutual. The club declined the option. Then he had the option to opt back in with a raise or test the market. And if so, the Cubs were going to get a compensatory pick. as we know he did not test the market and now showed himina got a raise up to $22 million

is what he is being paid and the concern is he started with a 265 ERA in the first half with an 093 whip and then had a 470 ERA and a 104 whip in the second half Is that bad? It got worse in the playoffs

and the home run became something that was a common result of what we saw of him at the mound. Layla, look at it like this. Well before the regular seasons ended, what did I tell you about Shodemanaaga? He can't be a part of your playoff rotation. He gives up too many home runs,

and we know by and large, home runs are the deciding factor in most playoff games, not all, but most. And when you look at what this guy did, first half versus second half, understand this. He gave up almost twice as many home runs in the second half

as he did in the first half. He gave up 11 home runs in his first 12 starts. He gave up 20 home runs over his last 13 starts. And I think he still has a street going of giving up a home run in starts. Am I correct to that? I'm going to look it up to make sure. Yeah, I've just got the splits in front of me. That's why I was able to see those easily.

Let's look at the old game log. Well, so according to the game log, I'll tell you this. He famously did not pitch in the postseason. in his last opportunity to pitch. The Cubs skipped him, did not throw him out there. He gave up three home runs over two postseason appearances, so he gave up home runs in each of those. And if you go back to the regular season

and add his last nine regular season starts, he gave up 11 straight starts, home runs. Yeah, you have to go back to August 5th against Cincinnati, who now has Ahoyaheus Juarez, to see the last game where he didn't give up a home run. that was a five to one loss. He still ended up giving up one-earned run, at least in that ball game. But that's fine.

Six and a third, three hits one-on-run. That's the show that you thought you signed up for. Yeah, not the eighth spot that he gave up to the Mets. You and I watched that show, actually with our guest at New and Clay Harbor, if you recall, at Old Crow. That was bad. The four earned runs against the Milwaukee Brewers was not great. That was two home runs and that, but that was only two-thirds innings in that outing.

And that's the last time we saw him pitch. That was on October 6th of last year. Sharda gets the raise. The Cubs end up having to pay him. And we've batted around the idea of a six-man rotation when it comes to trying to figure out how he fits in on this team. I think it's clear that as of right now, he feels like insurance.

Because you look at the other starters in this rotation to start it off, And I think honestly, unless something, I don't always say drastic changes, unless there's a return to what he looked like in the first half of the season, he's not in your top five pitchers. And that's including Colin Ray. I'm going to be honest with you. I mean, the other part of this, too, is Justin Steele. We know it's probably at least two months before we're talking about a return from him. And that's what makes this tricky. And we still don't know where Zach Allen is going yet. So that also adds to the intrigue.

and I think whether or not you say he feels like insurance, he needs to be insurance. Well, sometimes insurance is costly, depending on where you live and what kind of weather patterns are happening. Like, you know, to get insured in Florida now as an arm and maybe both your legs. Yeah. It's Matthew Boyd, it's Eduardo Cabrera, it's Kate Horton, it's Jameson, and then it's Shoda Imanaga.

And you could argue it should be Colin Ray, the spot starter, the sixth swing man, ahead of Shodem Anaga. But the Cubs obviously, obviously, are very confident that they can fit Shodda I'm in Managa's problems. Otherwise, why would they give him the qualifying offer? Yeah.

Oh, wait. They thought he was going to sign somewhere else. They did. I am convinced they thought that, because of the pitching market, or what they thought about the pitching market, that he was going to go to the market and then the Cubs were going to get a pick.

Confident. Here's what we know. We know that that's $22.9 million of the Cubs budget that they don't have available to them right now. And if Zach Gowan, who's still out here, looking for a job, was out here and the Cubs had an extra $22.9 million, maybe Zach Gallen was already a Cubs right now. Man, and that's it. It's that, you know, we're not talking about the Dodgers payroll here. We're talking about the Cubs payroll. So that money does matter.

And it takes up probably a spot for somebody else. and that's what the concern is. So Shota Imanaga was discussed yesterday appropriately as pitchers and catchers reported to Mesa. And Craig Counsel was asked about Shota and the process to get him back in his groove. With some of the factors that were in play with Shota in the second half, what's your optimism that he can kind of get back to who he was

before the injury kind of the domino effect? Yeah, I mean, I'm very excited for Shota to have. have an outstanding season. I really think, look, look, this is, he is going to respond kind of to the things that happened at the end of the year. And, you know, he wasn't happy how he pitched. And, you know, that's what great competitors do. They respond to things like that. And he will absolutely respond, and I'm very confident in that. If you could pick one thing he kind of did in the offseason to sort of move forward, what might be? Yeah, I mean, there was not, it's, it's, it's all very subtle. Like, it's not, it, it doesn't have to be a big

thing. I think that's, that's the, that's the, that's the difficulty of Major League Baseball is that these guys are at a level where the, the difference between success and, and, and, and struggle, uh, is, is very tiny. And the adjustments, they're, they're, they're, they're small. And, and, and, and also sometimes, like, that's, that's, that's why, you know, you think you can fix yourself, like, immediately, but it's, it's just a very subtle, the subtle things, like, can get you off track, and, and sometimes you need to step back a little bit to, to see that, right? And I think, so I think as much as anything, you know, sort of probably needed a little bit of time to, to be able to step back a little bit, and that gives you some clarity as much as anything.

I mean, that sounds good. But my biggest concern about Shoda isn't time, isn't time off. It's that his pitching profile is a high fastball tunnel with a splitter. And that high fastball ranges in the 90 to 92 range. It feels like the location has to be so precise for him to get away with what he was trying to get away with in the second half of the season. and is that velocity going to tick up? There's no indication that it will. I mean, even in hearing that answer about Shoda

and what needs to happen for him to get back to the guy that he was, there was not a bullet that let you know this has to happen. It was more of a, he just has to get away from the game and get a feel back. I don't like that. When the way you pitch is eventually going to lead to these results, you know the deal you're making. It's just a matter of how. long you want to let that ride.

Maybe the question is how often do you want to let that ride? Well, yes. Because the six-man rotation can kind of take away from having to deal with that every day and maybe five days rest as opposed to four days' rest even can help show to regain something. And you see how I'm kind of grasping at straws? I feel like everyone in this situation is grasping at straws in the moment. I feel like we're just picking up where the team left off in the playoffs. we are what did they do you know it was one game they prevented shodah from being an opener another one they decided to go ahead

or being an opener being a starter you know there was an opener for shodda another game they tried to they tried to balance it in a different manner it was piecemealing everything you possibly could remixing the opening day starter or the home opener starter no he was the opening day starter yeah he started the first game but i think that has as much to do as being in japan as anything else but he started the home opener too so there was that. But remixing, arguably, who should have been, you know, your first or second best pitcher at that point, and having to take that approach in the playoffs. And I understand it led to Jed Hoyer and Craig Counsel saying pitching was a priority.

But when you have to take those steps, how are we not just picking up where the Cubs left off when it came to trying to manage him in a way that would provide some results? I don't think we're getting any more clarity. I thought maybe we'd get a little something extra on, you know, start of spring training. But it appears that we're just getting started and we're not as far along as I would like to be in analyzing what the problem is. More importantly, what is the solution for Shodda and Iga on a one-year $22.9 million deal? I mean, that's it.

It's hard to be so lamenting his raise. But when you understand that it could have been avoided, that's what makes this so difficult. Like he's on your team and you're going to have to use him and you're going to have to figure out the best way to be able to do so while you're still waiting for Justin Steele to come back. It's crazy. After his first three starts this season, remember he had four no-hit innings

and just wasn't stretched out in that game against the Dodgers in Japan. But he gave up a run over his next two starts and went seven innings and then seven and a third. Didn't he still have four walks in that outing? He did have four walks. Yeah. So even then, even then you knew it was a little bit different of a performance than we had seen the year before.

And so what is it going to be this year and this time around? And frankly, I know the ball flies in Arizona, but that's as good of an understanding as to what he's doing as anything. Yeah, got to keep the ball in the park. That's goal number one at this point. Well, but even if he doesn't, then have that urgency and have that feeling of knowing what it's like to see the ball go out of the park again and try to figure that. out. But I'll be very curious to see how much he uses that splitter related to his fastball and if the

fastball command is better than it could be after last season. And frankly, also tipping pitches. Let's not forget that that was an issue too when he tipped all the pitches to the White Sox and they were able to tee off on him pretty well. Speaking of the White Sox, it's viral.

We have to discuss it. Chris Gets traded away his most established homegrown hitter for somebody who he has said multiple times was a switch hitter except he wasn't and it's one thing to do it in one media availability but we've got the receipts knowing it's not the only one let's examine next are you looking for a pro football podcast that doesn't put you to sleep with spreadsheets or insult you with mindless hot takes football is fun why shouldn't your football

podcast be the same balin listen to heed the call nflbens and mark sessler wherever you get your Podcast. Rahimi, Harris, and Grooty, Midday's tidal two on Chicago Sports Radio 12. It really is about being able to bring in Acuna, getting access to him. And, you know, we're talking about a player that's five plus years of control. One of the younger, exciting players in our game, you know, hasn't really gotten a runway at the major league level. That was Chris Gatz talking about Luis Angel Okunia, who was acquired from the Mets in the Luis Robert trade. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 104-3 The Score. And you've probably seen it by now.

We've gotten questions about it. Are you guys going to talk about Chris Gatz calling Luis on Helikuna a switch hitter four times in his media availability yesterday? Yes. Yes, we are. if it were only four times in one media availability. Ex-user Sam Phelan, P-H-A-L-E-N, sorry if I mispronounced it, posted a compilation of Gats referring to Luis San Helicunya as a switch hitter many times. Not just a general media availability, Sox Fest, the Recap podcast, and on CHSN. You know, he's got a lot of potential. He can play all over the diamond.

He's a strong defender, base runner, switch hitter. He can do a lot of different things to help you win. I want to bring someone in that you're excited about, right? And our evaluations on Acuna are very strong, you know, for the reasons you stated, very strong defensively, switch hitter. He can run. He's got great instincts. To bring in a player that is young, who's got pedigree, he's got bloodlines with his brother. can play all over the field.

He's a switch hitter. For him to have four home run nights. That would be fantastic. Yes. This is a guy is high contact ability, switch hitter. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's one thing to make mistakes. Goodness knows.

We are in live radio four and a half hours a day. Your brain turns to mosh and it's hard to keep track. Everybody knows that. As a GM, when you're supposed to keep track of thousands of players, that is also difficult. But when you say it in multiple different media availabilities and multiple times in the most recent one, that leads me to believe you did not know that he only bats right-handed. He's 5-8, by the way, which normally I don't complain about because I'm 5'3 and what do I care.

But in this case, when you're trying to evaluate talent, when you traded away Luis Robert, who you signed a $20 million, it starts to add up. One Louise for another. we know which one is better. We also understand, as you heard on the way into this segment about giving him a runway to kind of get his major league career going after playing part-time the last couple of years for the Mets. The thing that surprises me about this is that no one said anything after, let's say, Sox Fest, right? Like time number one. Now I just hear that buzzer.

Well, because anybody can misspeak one time. two times okay that's not great but three times three times that's your job is to know your players and then the fourth time is like hey man that's when they start compiling things it's like i feel like i've heard this before and people start looking for it and sending examples of it to sam and then he puts that together and i don't know if i'm more disturbed by the fact that he didn't know and I'm saying he didn't know like did he really not know that he's not a switch hit? That's the question.

Well, that's the bigger issue here because I've heard a lot of GMs talk about switch hitters over time. We talk to one every week here on the score shout at Connect Roosters Tumblr on our set Ian Hap. But if you thought that you were getting a switch hitter which it sure sounds like he is,

given everything going on with the socks and the fact that you were brought in from being the assistant general manager where you didn't like the way that the minor league players weren't developing into major league ones when that's your responsibility and then to add this on top

like already you were digging yourself out of a reputational hole a bit and I give Chris Gett's credit because I think he knew that he knew the jury Ryan's door for brought him in to again use the phrase short in the timeline this doesn't help this doesn't help but you don't have enough capital for this

and it was Luis Robert It's just crazy because I was excited to see, okay, what can it can you do? He's going to get some more playing time than he got in New York. He's only 23 years old. Maybe there's some untapped potential here. He's fast. He can play in the field. He comes from a good bloodline.

Curdle. It curdled me. That did make me cringe a little bit. Anytime you hear the bloodline, you're like, ah. We all just went, ah. Like, no. I'm going to go recency and say mostly. We do it because of the Beijing call.

the Bayesian thing. For us, it's a different deal. It's Tyson-Bajun, but if you go further back, it's going to be even more disturbing. I can promise you that. Yes, yes, you are correct on that. It's, he did, he did give a statement. Chris Gatz did respond this morning, about an hour ago. He gave a statement to our Bruce Levine, quote, so I probably have been getting carried away describing his versatility, he joked. He can play every position on the field. Why does it have to stop there? I called Luis on hell and told him that even though he's just right, handed, we still love him. He's, he's socially graceful, Chris Gets. He's trying to play it off. I admire those who are. I tend to come in like a bull in a china shop. He's still going to be asked

the first time my Mike is in front of him. So how did you make that same mistake four different times? He's going to be asked. It's not just four different times. It's multiple, it's multiple outings. It's Sox Fest. It's the recap. It's EHSN. It wasn't just four times. But I like to cite the receipts. Like four times document it. I don't know how I'm going to say it. I'm any more times beyond that. I was like, did you at one point think he was a switcher? I'd have follow-up questions because I really want to understand his thought process there.

I mean, we have that compilation from Sam Fieland, which indicates it wasn't just a training, spring training. Right. And so at what point did you realize he was only a right-handed hitter? Maybe that's the best question. And was it after you acquired him? That's more important. Did the name, is that what you fell in love with?

Are we in a thanasis scenario here? Oh, no, you didn't, Lila. Oh, yes, yes, I did. Is that the comparison you want to make? I asked the question, I didn't declare it. There's a difference. There's a difference. There's a remarkable difference.

And you're triggered because you know how Thanassas' name used to get used on this show. You know? Yes. Dan would just go, he can't play. With the Nassas got minutes against the Bulls the other day, I'll admit. I was like, yeah, the Nassus alert.

Yes. Absolutely. You know what I'm doing currently? Looking up the Nassus? No, that was my first. That's like what I was going to do. But then I was like, well, let me go check something out. I just asked the question.

I did not say he is the Nassas. I said, are we dealing with that scenario? There is a difference. No, because if he was the Nassas, he would be on the Braves. He would be on the Braves. That's where he would be if he was the Nassus. Let's be very honest with ourselves. When the position players pitching against them,

guys minute. I just look to see all other relatives that have played in Major League Baseball to see if any of them were switched. Oh, I thought you were

looking up Yonis' other relatives? No, no, I don't need to. I know enough about Yonis and Thanasis and what's the other brother's name? I'm forgetting the other brother plays more minutes.

Yeah. So look, we all make mistakes. It's a concerning one because it's coming from who it's coming from and a guy who made his name

in evaluating talent on the upswing? Developing. Developing said talent, yes. And so while that is concerning, I do want to hear Chris gets out to understand. See, my whole thing,

and you guys know this about, we've had group chats about different things that have happened, I just want to know how we got here. I need a logical explanation of how we got here. I just want to have a conversation. Yeah.

Root cause and all. You know, you just want to find the root cause of this. And then that way we don't ever do this again. How about that, skates, never do this again, ever. They have a closer for reasons I don't understand. So they can win those one-run games that they were horrible in last year. That's why.

How many innings do you expect them to pitch per outing? The one-run deficits didn't just happen in the ninth. They have other, well, that's why Grant Taylor's supposed to be such an important part of this team. Every time I talk, I just keep hearing that buzzer. Like the closer, how many, how many innings? Do you expect him to pitch per outing? I don't expect him to necessarily lead the team in saves either.

I think he's going to be utilizing whatever high leverage situation, seventh, eighth. Whenever Grant Taylor's not available, he might be pitching those games. Okay, guys, okay. It's a really damning sound effect. To add to that and the Switch hitter conversation and it was multiple outings and the NASS is all in the same segments, more painful than it should have been. Mike Florio joins us. No, we like Mike.

Mike Florio, the creator and editor-in-chief of Pro Football Talk, with a lot of news about our favorite player on this show who's not a bear next on the score. He's the real deal. This is coming from a pure bloodline. I'm Mark Sondler, producer and one of the hosts of the Moth podcast. For nearly two decades, The Moth has brought live storytelling to stages around the world

and to millions of listeners. These are real people telling true stories from their lives. Stories about a lost family recipe, about working to free a wrongfully convicted man, about realizing you need to leave your May-December romance. Stories that will move you, surprise you, make you laugh, stories you can't forget. Join us. Follow and listen to The Moth wherever you get your podcasts.