Talkin' Baseball (MLB Podcast) - 429 | Verlander Back to Houston, Seiya Suzuki, Extensions, & Billy Eppler

Episode Date: November 22, 2021

Text 'BFCM' to 85311 to enter to win, and follow Dugout Mugs on all social media Go to https://getroman.com/talkin now to get $15 off your first month Get 20% OFF + free shipping at https://manscaped....com/talkin  Timestamps: 4:45 - Jimmy is an Athlete 7:00 -Tyler Wade to the Angels 10:45 - Justin Verlander signs with Houston 18:00 - Sticky Balls 22:00 - Alcantara Extension 26:00 - Smaller Signings 33:15 - Brandon Belt Accepts QO 36:15 - Guardians 37:00 - Seiya Suzuki 51:30 - Front Office Updates 58:30 - Mets Hire Billy Eppler Presented by DraftKings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:02 Hello and welcome to talking baseball offseason episode. Dad's only. Verlander's a dad. Actually, I don't think he is, but he signed with the Astros. Talk about it. Is he? Hello and welcome to talking baseball. My name is Jimmy.
Starting point is 00:00:33 His name is Trevor Plouf, BBD in the corner. And this episode is brought to you by Draft Kings and Genevieve. Verlander, the two-year-old daughter of Kate and Justin. He is a dad. So it's dads only. You know, I didn't know that. Dad didn't know that either. Okay.
Starting point is 00:00:57 Dads are awesome. Genevieve Verlander. I don't really roll off the tongue. I literally almost spit my coffee. I was all of them, dad. All right. I apologize. It doesn't roll off the tongue.
Starting point is 00:01:16 It was not much. I hope there's a middle name. that like kind of adds some flow in there but uh yeah i don't know it's a lot it's a lot going on right there even like gen verlander that's okay i guess yeah viv viv viv verlander i'm sure that's that's uh that's an adam sandler character viv what's that word verlander you're right or like veronica valancourt v von von he always has the double vs anyway how you doing treb haven't seen you in a while man i'm loving life dude happy to be back with you it's been a while since been just you and me. Yeah. You still got that fatherly glow about you. I'm excited. You know,
Starting point is 00:01:53 we talked a little bit off air about dad life. He said you got some stories to share, which I'm happy. Yep. Can't wait to hear about it. But all in all things are good, man. We, um, we, we, we, we, we pre-recorded. I think it's, is it Thursday's episode or is it, is it Wednesday's episode? BPD. Wednesday's episode. We pre-recorded an episode, so I have talked to Treb, but you guys haven't heard it yet as listeners. How long did the episode come out to, like a buck 35 i think it's yeah it's a long it's a long episode i had to cut like 10 minutes but enjoy your thanksgiving uh wednesday it's a long episode we got going on we got a lot to talk about obviously verlander signed we have a whole sheet here which is great because i'm going to
Starting point is 00:02:33 kind of play catch up so i've been a little out of the loop with all of this and uh but first i got to get you guys in the loop with dugout mugs and their christmas giveaway text bfcm beat Fairfield College Monday. Some would say Black Friday Cyber Monday. Someone would say beat Fairfield College Monday if that's like a chant. If you're playing them in field hockey. I need to announce something real quick, guys. I need to leave.
Starting point is 00:03:04 I have a bloody nose. Wow. I'll be right back. Because the coffee went through your nose when I made that observation. It might have been. Wow. But I'll play through it. I'll play through it.
Starting point is 00:03:14 Let me just go get some tissue. All right. text BFCM to 8-5-3-1-1 to enter dugout mugs Christmas giveaway. They're kicking it off early by giving away autographed items from Mariana Rivera, Pudge Rodriguez, and Juan Soto, and a bunch more. All the winners will be announced live on their social media through Black Friday and Cyber Monday. So text BFCM to 8-5-3-1-1 to enter to win and follow dugout mugs on social media. As always, they're telling us that they will sell out of their product soon.
Starting point is 00:03:44 So you got to text them and they'll text you back a secret discount code so you can get your holiday shopping done early. They've got the good stuff. They got the new metal mugs. Those are pretty diesel. Yeah, those are awesome. Brace fan, they have a whole World Series line that they've given us. So they're pretty cool stuff. If you're wondering where young Jake is, St. Lucia, I believe, on vacation.
Starting point is 00:04:08 Good for him. He had to hold down the fort for a while there. So nice little getaway for him and sweet Jessica. and then I'm still technically, this is my last day of like full time paternity leave. But I'm doing the show anyway. Tomorrow is when like I'm doing three weeks part time where I'm only going to do like two days in the office and from home. I've been cooped up, Treve. I've been going crazy.
Starting point is 00:04:37 Like what's, um, anyway, can I tell you my update? Yes, what I did today. I got a cortisone shot today in my bicep. I'm an athlete. It's going to hurt for a couple days. Yep. Yeah, it's pretty sore. It was hurting for the last five, like really bad.
Starting point is 00:04:55 And then yesterday was really, really bad. And I got to go to physical therapy, got a cortisone shot, inflammation in my bicep. And guess what they found out, which always cracks me up. I got bones spurs. Okay. I love that when athletes go get an x-ray. And they're like, and we found some bone spurs. So we took those out, too.
Starting point is 00:05:19 It's like, what? It's like, I think Zach Britain has like a cleanup every year. Yeah, they found some, you found some bone spurs. They got rid of them. So it was pretty cool sitting there and doctor was like, you got bone spurs. And I was like, wow, I'm an athlete.
Starting point is 00:05:32 He was like, are you an athlete? I said, I play a lot of blitzball. Yeah, I was going to say, is this preventative or, or like, proactive for what's happening in January? Uh, no, but like I need to be. Like I, like, I, I have to go to physical therapy and like, get it right so I can pitch in, and Blitzball again.
Starting point is 00:05:50 But it's from rocking the baby. Ah, yeah, man. It's from holding him, like, in my right arm, like, cradling, and then just doing those really small, like, rocks for, I guess, five days straight, my arm just tapped out. I have so many little rocks in my elbow. Is that what that is? I have bone spurs.
Starting point is 00:06:11 Just, like, I mean, I could feel, like, 10 of them in my elbow. I think those are loose bodies. I don't think those are. Bone spurs are, like, when the end of your bone spurs. has a little like hook on it. Anyway, I got it. If this doesn't work, I have to go get an MRI. And then like, I'm honestly like an athlete of all athletes. And if Jimmy, you've been saying for a couple years now, I mean, every time the
Starting point is 00:06:31 Yankees have their end of the season, here's a new injuries list. They always say someone's like bones spurs. You've asked every time, how many burns bonespers you think I've got. I have. Yeah. I guess Treb doesn't know that context. Bonespers crack me up. Talking yanks, we do it.
Starting point is 00:06:45 I didn't know that context. Yeah. Every year. And Jake and I always say, like, Like, you check me out right now how many bones spurs I got. And it turns out I have one. So I feel like I'm in the club. Like, you probably got some, Treve.
Starting point is 00:06:55 I asked. I saw him. Oh, shit. Uh-oh. This is a Yankees one. Tyler Wade traded to the Angels. Wow. Huh.
Starting point is 00:07:06 I like it. Or any, for like just like nonsense. Player to be named later or cash consideration. So nothing. We don't know. That player to be named later could be someone big. True. Good for Tyler.
Starting point is 00:07:20 Nothing today. He's a big league. like you know he well yeah he may not be what everyone you know he well i mean short stop but he there he's uh talent well his he can't hit he showed signs his last year that he could but i mean his tools are all of his other tools like i said he can play seven positions and he can pinch run so good for him i'm happy he got picked up i was surprised i mean i thought he would get picked up i actually got some people inside MLB text. I was exchanging text.
Starting point is 00:07:56 And they were saying they didn't think he would get picked up. And I was like, he definitely is. It's got, it's, it's only 700K. So good for him. Good for him. Yeah. Is that minimum an MLB bench option that you're happy to have there? He's going to love being in L.A. or Orange County.
Starting point is 00:08:16 Yeah, he's going to have such cool clothes on all the time. If Tyler Wade's not from L.A., then, like, it's the biggest. lie ever told. I don't think he's from L.A. Murietta. Murietta? Yeah. Where is Marietta?
Starting point is 00:08:34 I don't even know where that is. Southwestern Riverside County. Oh. Oh. Okay. What's that tell you? Well, I mean, Riverside, to me, I just think 909ers. Or is that Inland Empire?
Starting point is 00:08:48 I don't know. I feel like Moto, Moto Bros. Oh, he's right by Temecula. That's like Moto Bro. Yeah, that's like, that's like bros. Yeah, like, right, lifted trucks, flatbrim hats that, that the ears get tucked into. I came from a town like that. No fear shirts, Monster, any drinks, yeah.
Starting point is 00:09:12 And then Cowboys. Yeah, I came from a place just like that. Holy crap. Where I lived in Northern California, Livermore, was like that. But it was Northern California. But it was... You get all of us. It was like that.
Starting point is 00:09:29 All right. All right. You got any life updates? No, man. I'm happy. I'm going golfing later today. That's a life update. That's awesome.
Starting point is 00:09:39 I've been golfing a lot more, James. You know, the schedule's toned down a little bit right now, and I'm getting into it, so I'm happy. Jake's probably jealous of you. I'm glad he's golfing in St. Lucia, though. Okay. He's having a good time. You talk about old Jakey?
Starting point is 00:09:53 Yeah, I heard, I came back in a conversation. I just let them know where he was. St. St. Lucia. I'm not going to Turks and Caicos anymore. Couldn't get a passport for a little baby in time. Hmm. The baby.
Starting point is 00:10:08 So we're going to Puerto Rico now. Because you don't need a passport to go there. And Katie deserves a vacation pretty bad. Love that. I heard Puerto Rico is beautiful. I've never been. Yeah, Puerto Rico's nice. And it's a, we just want to resort.
Starting point is 00:10:22 We don't want to leave the hotel. We just want to literally sit by a pool on the beach for like four nights or four days. But Puerto Rico, if you want to explore, has a lot of cool places. I went there once when I was in high school. I don't know. All right. Verlander's a big signing. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:10:39 Let's start with there. I guess we all should have seen Verlander coming. If you don't know, he signed a one year 25 million deal that includes a 25 million player option. for year two. So, Refresher, the Astros have committed $50 million. If Verlander pitches so well in year one
Starting point is 00:11:05 that he thinks he can go out in the open market and get 30 mil a year as a 41 year old or, or whatever, or like a three-year deal where the AAV is 20, then he can opt out. But if he sucks, if he gets hurt, if he's whatever, he'll just opt in and he's $50 million guaranteed. It's a great deal for him.
Starting point is 00:11:30 It's an excellent deal. It's a really big deal because, I mean, I know that you agree with me and so does history and the stats. Like Tommy John guys need, they're never crazy in their first year back. They're always pitch limits and some, some resets. And you hear stories of guys who are. Tommy John and it's just mentally they're just fucked up to be able to trust their arm. It's just like such a tough ask.
Starting point is 00:12:00 So I'm always super weary. Same with same with Cindergarde, the LA one, the Angels one. I wasn't here when you guys discussed that, but that was a weird signing. But good for Verland. I mean, 50 million dollars, 40 years old. I definitely want to play guess his career earnings. But before that, yeah, I mean, I think it's good for both sides.
Starting point is 00:12:30 It is really good for Verlander. How about that? It's really, really good for Verlander. And I think the Astros are really just, like, comfortable with, like, the kind of person he is and, you know, the amount of work he puts in. So because they're so close to the situation, it seems to me like they're fairly confident in his ability to come back and produce right away. We'll see.
Starting point is 00:12:52 I mean, he has a freak. He always been able to do. that. But there were reports. I don't think they were fully sanctioned or like reported by actual sources. Like a radio host in Houston that. And it was just kind of like, I think Astros fans felt it that he just abandoned them last year on the chance he didn't come back.
Starting point is 00:13:13 Like he wasn't at any games. He didn't hang out. The rumor was he was supposed to throw out the first pitch. And they said, no, don't. So like you might have to make amends with some people in the locker room. I also wonder how much Brent Strom Is it Brent or Brett? I think Brent.
Starting point is 00:13:30 I think Brent. Brent's a weird that always trips me up because I'm like, that's not an actual name, right? Brent. I think, do you think him, Brent Strom leaving and saying like, well,
Starting point is 00:13:43 let's get like veteran presence and Burlander back? Or do you just think it's strictly talent based? Oh, all of that factors in for sure. I mean, we mentioned this all the time on this show. Like how much of that. veteran impact means and how much is it worth to organizations and I think if you look at this deal like
Starting point is 00:14:02 they value it a lot you know they have some young guys some young starters that they think are pretty good and yeah Lance McCullors is a veteran in his own right um but I think having Lance continue to learn from a guy like JV just is only going to benefit them plus all like I said all the young guys they have in the rotation that's definitely a factor in it I do believe like they've just been tracking him how How are your, how's the bullpins looking? Like, where's, you know, where all his biomechanic readings at? Like, you know, I'm sure. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:14:33 I'm trying to think if they would have that. Dude, they don't. Like they didn't have that because he was a free agent. So, but they at least have been scouting him and been watching him pitch. They, they have less info than you think they would because they aren't in control of that info. And when they go do these. Yeah, you have to opt. You have to opt into that.
Starting point is 00:14:54 So I doubt he has. and when they do those throw days, you know, like Cluber did last year, like, it's not like each team gets to set up their, um, Rapsoto kit and like get their own readings, you know, so they, you would like that they can say all those numbers are ticked up and all that, but like they don't, they don't have that. Why would, why would Boris or whoever's agent is or like, why would Verlinder offer that? Like, no. Sign me on the eye test. You know what I mean? So I don't think they do. But, I, I, I don't. I, I like it that he went back to Houston. I like when guys don't bounce around that much. So if he finish his career as a two-team guy, I think that that's better for baseball in a way. That's crazy. I didn't even think about that.
Starting point is 00:15:40 He's been a two-team guy. I like that. Yeah. Well, it felt like he really should have been a one-team guy, but the Tigers were pretty needed to shed some contracts pretty bad. Now been in Houston a little while. I think what is also. signals is that Houston really believes in their window still. And they should. They should.
Starting point is 00:16:05 They have a lot of talent on that roster and they'll continue to have a lot of talent on that roster. And it's like all different degrees. I think that's when you, when teams have success is it's like we have some really young guys, some rookies producing. We have some guys like in New Year's three and four. And then we have the veterans that have been there for a long time. They have a nice mixture of everything. Their roster is very, very well constructed right now. Do you put anything into Strom leaving?
Starting point is 00:16:33 No. I mean, have they hired anyone to succeed him? I don't know, but the way like Strom's quotes were, they have the people in place to keep going without me. So it's, it felt like they were going to hire from within. But it seemed like he was going to retire and then he goes to
Starting point is 00:16:51 Jake's D-backs, which I actually like that because I think it's a good test of Strom is can he go to the D-backs and make an impact right away. Can he like make changes and can you get the Brent Strom effect? I think that'd be interesting. He's a pitching coach for the Astros. So he's one of the pitching coaches that became kind of a commodity or star. Like pitchers went there and got better and it was called like the Strom effect. Like he got a lot of credit for all of that. He's really highly thought. of around baseball. So it's weird that he walked away and went to another team. It's interesting.
Starting point is 00:17:27 You know, the Astros are now the new raise organization where like their coaching tree is going to be plucked. And you're going to see this happen more and more. Their front office will get plucked. And I think it all kind of stems from the raise, right? Like Click is their GM. And I don't know.
Starting point is 00:17:45 I mean, Strom is not from the raise, but definitely benefited from that new age thinking. He was one of the guys who was able to marry the two, I think. Yeah. He also knew stick of your balls helped, apparently. Yes. They do help. Which I guess, can we talk about that?
Starting point is 00:18:03 I'm going out of order here, but Manfred, a bunch of quotes saying that they're going to try and have the pre-tacked balls in by 20, 23. They don't think they can do it this upcoming season, but they passed them around all the clubhouses, the Olympics ball everyone liked. Would you say they're trying to get reds? ready for that. Oh, yeah, trying to get Roman ready. Someone put together a montage. I don't know that kid's name, but it's like X edits of a YouTube and a Twitter. They put together a montage of all of our Roman reads over the year.
Starting point is 00:18:39 Which, oh my God, Roman must be so excited about that. I think I told ourselves, you know, hey, look at this. People are making content out of the reads. That's ridiculous. So, yeah, hopefully pitchers are Roman ready next year. or in 2020, and they have that pre-tapped ball in their hand and the confidence to know they can throw it as hard as they can. It's going to come out as fast as they want it and go right where they want it to go. Whoa.
Starting point is 00:19:05 Would you say, I'm just going to make a little side-by-side comparison here, Spider-Tack would be one's Roman? Spider-Roman? You know what? Spider-Tack was like, the gas station version of whatever you're going to get prescribed by Roman if you need it, which is the sticky tack balls. Like no more junk science.
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Starting point is 00:19:56 The benefits of ED treatment can help you reconnect with your partner and rediscover the joy of sex, which is the name of Jake's autobiography. I still don't understand people that would just sit in a bed with their significant other and just kind of, you know, waving a boiled pasta noodle. Like, let's go. Yeah. We do have noodle in bed night here, though. We watch, you've got mail, just buttered noodles only. But you don't always have buttered noodles, James. It's the proof is John Baby, okay? Pretty out on buttered noodles. I'd like sauce or something. Anyway, whole process, straightforward, discreet, and convenient, go to get Roman.com. Slash talk and complete an online visit. If they have those sticky tack balls, I don't know the effects of those. You know what I mean? Like pitchers will be able to feel good. but are they going to jump the spin rate like crazy or are they going to they're just going to be feel better in the pitcher's hands i think they'll have to marry all that out in 2020 you know if
Starting point is 00:21:02 they're going to start producing these baseballs themselves with rawlings uh they're going to have to take that into account what let's get a baseline spin for this you know this sample group of pitchers and then we'll see what the balls do um i don't think anybody has a problem with the little bit of increased spin rate is long as everyone's on a level playing field. You know, if these balls jump, everyone's spin rate, you know, the 300 RPMs that everyone's looking for, I think maybe that's a different scenario. But if they're going to give you 100 plus spin and it's consistent across the board, I don't
Starting point is 00:21:39 think anyone will care. And we just shut up about all this stuff. Yeah, I hope that's it. Just shut up about all this stuff. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I agree. I agree. We had a pitcher get shut up.
Starting point is 00:21:53 signed today. Or nearing a five-year agreement, the fish are locking down an arm, which is kind of different for them. I think it's going to be the, I read it's going to be the most money for a three to four year service time pitcher, something like that. Marlins A, Sandy Alcantara, Alcantara, Alcantra, whatever. I listened to a video of him pronouncing his own name like 10 times because we always get stuck in it.
Starting point is 00:22:22 And I, like, don't. I'm not positive what he said. If it's Alcantara or Alcantra. But. Good for him. Sandy throws the shit out of the ball. Yeah. That's an easier one to say.
Starting point is 00:22:34 Kim Eng and the Marlins actually going to retain some talent. Kim Ang said when she went there, she wanted to, you know, up payroll and actually spend, which is great for the Marlins. This crop of pitchers, I thought they would have traded them if I had to guess anything. I think they bought out. They're going to buy out his last two years of arbitration, which if he continues down the stretch would have been like 10, 14 mil a season. No, I think it's all three, James.
Starting point is 00:23:03 Buying out all three years? I'm reading right here, he was going to go through arbitration this year. First time. So three years of arbitration and then I guess so two years of your free agency, right? He was a five-year deal. Yeah. Good for the Marlins. He's nasty.
Starting point is 00:23:20 Kind of a bummer because I wanted him. I wanted him to get traded somewhere. But I guess I'll just root for the Marlins to be good. This is an amazing deal for the Marlins. Like, it doesn't even matter if it doesn't work out. Like, the risk reward here is incredible. $11 million annual on a guy like that. That's insane.
Starting point is 00:23:42 Andrew Heaney is getting $8 million, dude. I love Andrew, but, like, think about that. Yeah, but I think Tref, he was only set to make like three or four mill this year in arbitrage. Yeah, but then it doubles and it doubles and then you then you have to pay him $100 million or more. I don't, I don't hate this one. I know that players always want to bet on themselves and you want that to be more of the mindset. But I don't, this is pretty good deal and they just trade him anyway. If anything, it just locks up that he's going to be in Miami. Hopefully it locks up that he's going to be in Miami for the next five years and like life will be easier and you just go get it.
Starting point is 00:24:21 because he's still going to be young when this ends, right? He's 26 right now. So, I mean, on the back end of it, if you trade... For a pitcher, that's not bad. Yeah, if you trade him, he's going to make, like, a nice deal for the team training for him so you'd get, like, a real package for him. I assume he's good and all, which he should be. He's a good pitcher.
Starting point is 00:24:42 I'm not saying he shouldn't have accepted this. Obviously, there's probably a lot of talk about this between his agent and his family and all that good stuff. $55 million. He's set for life. doesn't have to worry about anything ever again. So there's a lot of, look, that that means something, dude. Like this dude gave up a lot to be in the position he's in.
Starting point is 00:25:01 He's worked hard. Now he can cash in on it. Is he leaving money on the table? Like almost certainly he's leaving money on the table. But I think that there's a, yeah, I mean, you, you, you'll give up some of that if you get complete financial security for your family. And he did. So it's awesome. I hope more moves come from, from, from, you know,
Starting point is 00:25:25 more moves come from the Marlins now. Like, don't just retain one guy. Like, if you're going to spend money, they, Kim Ang said they wanted to get free agents. If they go, continue doing stuff like this, Jim, and they lock up Trevor Rogers,
Starting point is 00:25:39 which, you know, what would that even look like? I'm sure there's a few extensions after a year that they could look at and comp, but that's what you have to do. Look at the Braves. Look what they did with Akunia and Ozzie. Like, that's what you have to do. Get a few centerpieces locked up on these deals,
Starting point is 00:25:55 and then you can sprint a little bit in free agency, and it's the beginning for them. There's some other moves here. I think those are the two that excited me the most. Well, you know what? This one kind of pumped me up. The Brewer signed catcher Pedro Severino. Pedro Severino is out of Baltimore.
Starting point is 00:26:16 That's, I'm happy for him. Yes. Like, yes. Have you ever seen how much passion that guy plays with? If he had that much passion on the Orioles, the last four years, imagine what he's going to do if he's on a team that's winning more than they're losing.
Starting point is 00:26:34 It might be insane. He might like cry every pitch of tears of joy. I love it. And it's so funny. Like everyone keeps talking about this, like the might be the thinnest free age ever. And it's just funny to me. It's like I feel like teams are like realizing that
Starting point is 00:26:54 and just we better get a backup catcher now. Always need catchers. Dude, he's going to be catching. What are his incentives? You got $1.9 million deal from the brewers and $400K in incentives. Do we know what that is? I love incentives. It's always funny.
Starting point is 00:27:12 Are they like bullshit? Like if he wins the batting title or are they actually attainable? There are some hilarious incentives. You're right about that. Let's see if we. Hey, I'm going to click out and come back in. I feel like I'm chopping up here. Okay.
Starting point is 00:27:29 Let's see. I'm reading if they have any incentive. He opted to become a free agent for the first time his career instead of arbitration. Baltimore chose to outright him off the 40 man. Then he opted to become a free agent. Incentives, incentives. Looks like his exact incentives haven't been announced. The page I, the website I go to that usually has them as soon.
Starting point is 00:28:01 as they're up, just has incentives, 400K. Yeah, that's a bummer. Hopefully for him, it's based on, like, games played. I guess he's going to be the backup, so maybe that's, hopefully it's the most attainable thing ever. Go get it. It'll be nice. Hey, how about this?
Starting point is 00:28:21 I know Trev's not here. Should I wait for him? The Pirates and Jose Cantana is such a bizarre thing to me. like Jose Contana has not been good he was on the Angels last year who were awful at pitching and got moved
Starting point is 00:28:43 and they were using him out of the bullpen like he got taken out of the Angels rotation put in the bullpen then traded to the Giants where he did not pitch well yeah I feel like I
Starting point is 00:29:01 never heard about him at all with the giant only five games so that makes sense and he just got two million dollars he's 32 years old he's a lefty i mean he hasn't been good i mean do you remember when he was mr quality start yeah and there is a while he was like one of the hottest trade rumor guys for a couple years there and they finally did the chicago flip so he has in in 2018 pretty decent year for a starter. 32 starts, 403 ERA. Not like amazing, not going to win awards, but that's a solid year. It hasn't been good since then.
Starting point is 00:29:45 He's been hurt and out. But, dude, if you're just a lefty, you get $2 million? He's been, he's approaching. I think he either got to 10 years of service time or is about to get to 10 years of service time. It's kind of nuts. Trev, um, there's pirates. I know no one's tuning into the show to hear about the pirate signing Jose
Starting point is 00:30:11 contana to a two year two million dollar deal. But I just think it's so wild that he can get two million dollars on a one year deal. And the pirates are basically just like, well, we're not competing. We just need arms. So we don't kill all our young guys. And maybe he looks good and we can trade him. and we get something back for the 2 million. But like if you're Jose Cantana,
Starting point is 00:30:37 like that guy should be a minor league invite if I've ever seen one. I don't know, man. Why do you say that? He hasn't been a good pitcher for a while. Yeah, but he hasn't been a good since 2018 last year. The Angels kicked him out of the rotation. I don't know.
Starting point is 00:30:57 I mean, I don't know. Look, yeah, you're right. He's in Edith Bennings. Kind of that's what he does. That's what he did well at the beginning of his career. I think that. we see guys all the time figure something out. I wouldn't put it past them to go have a decent year if he figures something out.
Starting point is 00:31:15 It's just a funny one to explain to an outsider. Like, oh, the pirates need pitchers. It's like, well, no, they're not really trying. $2 million is like, if you're, he should have, he should earn more than $2 million. Even if it's what you're saying, just eat up endings. That means a lot to an organization. Yeah, I don't know. He was good for a while.
Starting point is 00:31:38 Do you know your history against him, Trev? You know, I always felt like I hit him well, but I'm pretty sure I didn't. It was like one of those guys were like, I was happy to face him, but I think he might have just like kind of owned me. The overall numbers are good. He finished within 857 OPS and 31 ABs, 37 played appearances. But the last 2016, he struck you out one, two, three, four, five times in a row, then you homered off him the last time you face him. him. So you figured him out. He might have figured some, he was, I don't know, he was one of those guys.
Starting point is 00:32:12 Like I said, I would be happy to face him. And I thought, oh, I'm going to crush today. And then I never really did. I remember one specific day in Chicago against him. It was him and Phil Hughes. We were playing at like three o'clock, a random start time. And the shadows were so bad. I think both of them had like 15 strikeouts or something like that.
Starting point is 00:32:30 Like, they're not strikeout pitchers. Yeah. Elias Diaz. Struck you at 10. Man, not a lot's happened. Elias Diaz, catcher, like you said, all the catchers are going. Three-year deal, I think they bought out one year of arbitration, and then two years of free agency.
Starting point is 00:32:49 So good for them there, to the Rockies. I just want to point out that Quintana left the Angels and went to the Giants and got better, which is obvious. Yeah, but he didn't do that well. I mean, I think you had five outings and three of them were bad. It's kind of only up from what he was doing. Only up from there. But the numbers are better.
Starting point is 00:33:10 I have a lot of respect for that guy. Oh, Brandon Bell, except the qualifying offer. That was a bummer. I thought he could have went and got some money somewhere, especially with DH potentially coming. And I was excited to see him not in San Francisco because I think he could pop a lot of home runs. But I'm always happy when guys stay with their hometown,
Starting point is 00:33:31 especially with the Giants competing and what they built last year. And he probably was like, hell, yeah, I'll opt in for, 19 mil or whatever the qualifying offer is. I'm happy for him too. Obviously he feels comfortable there and doesn't want to have to uproot everything. And it's a nice size contract for a year for him. I'm happy. I think you and I are both on the same page.
Starting point is 00:33:56 We like guys sticking around with teams. Yeah, I think they need to incentivize it more. I don't, I think it's just, it's such a regional sport that you need to, you need to buy into that. and build regional teams. What just made you make that face? Sorry.
Starting point is 00:34:14 We said we were going to do a Verlander career to date earnings, and we didn't do it. 450 mil. I have the number, I did a minute ago. I have the number, too. It's not 450, but it's a lot. 350. Right now he's sitting, James, at 292,
Starting point is 00:34:33 and add 50 mil on top of that. So 342 million. by the time it's all said and done. What was the last deal he signed with the Astros? I mean, he's got, this is what he's earned with the Astros. 28, 28, 28, 28, 28, and then 33, 33. He's, so 17, 18, 19, 19, 20, 21, you have five years. How much he earned last year?
Starting point is 00:35:02 $33 million. For not throwing a pitch? Not throwing a pitch, baby. he's just since since 2011 James so going back a decade now he's earned 10 figures every year 12.8 to start and then nothing under 20 I mean this guy is that's what a woof yeah someone in the chat didn't you just say you wanted a belt to leave I would have been interested in belt's free agency I guess that's how I would have phrased it because I think he actually would have been like a one year, two year deal commodity if DH is up in the NL. And there would have been some, some like far fetch Yankees rumors attached to him to him to up his value elsewhere.
Starting point is 00:35:53 Absolutely. I was just going to ask that. I don't think the Yankees would have been in on him. But you know, I don't know if he's Boris, but Heyman, if he was Boris, Heyman would treat Yankees sure interested in his left stroke in that short porch as far as 10 other teams. So I thought him going to free and she would have been training. but I'm happy when people stay with their team. Guardians are official.
Starting point is 00:36:13 That's news here. And then the sign fell off the building. It did. That was pretty funny. Just like bad, bad screw job? Or do you think someone knocked it down? No, I think it was a bad screw job and hilarious timing. That's what I think it was.
Starting point is 00:36:33 But hey, everyone's excited. I think it's, we see Rose touched on a little bit today, because he obviously was a Cleveland Indians fan. Now he's a Cleveland Guardians guy. But, I mean, look, it was time. And I don't even mind the Guardians. I think the Guardians will be fine. I like the Guardians better than spiders.
Starting point is 00:36:50 I might be a minority on that. Yeah, the only thing I don't like is how much the, it looks like the Indians. I think that might be like a two or three year play and then maybe a complete rebrand. Maybe. They need some gold. Do they have gold in their union? uniforms right now. They need some gold. Guardians needs gold.
Starting point is 00:37:12 Keep like their third color. Go, go, Guardians. Power Rangers theme. You want to talk about Suzuki? Yes. How do you pronounce his first name? Saya. Sayya. Sayya? Yeah. Do you play Outcast,
Starting point is 00:37:29 heya when he comes up? Do you guys think he chases downstairs? Oh, my. I don't know, Trev. How many Japanese players did you play with and how was their grooming? I don't...
Starting point is 00:37:46 My knowledge and what I've seen, I don't think it's a big manscaping community. Wow. But this could all change. If this could change if they got one of the lawnmowers in their hands.
Starting point is 00:38:03 How about that? Yeah. Okay. That's something we need to look out for it. You don't think like... Yeah, I can tell you one thing. I tell you, I guarantee you Matsui has never touched up down there. And that's a shame.
Starting point is 00:38:17 I'm recalling everyone that I've, that I've showered with. A lot of guys could use Manscape. Let me tell you that right now, first of all. Like there needs to be more lawnmowers running around the good old United States. Well, this Thanksgiving be thankful for family food. No, wrong read, Jimmy. You dumbass. Oh, my.
Starting point is 00:38:36 Holidays came early because Manscape. the leading men's hygiene brand has launched new. What are the holidays do? They came early. Oh, okay. They weren't ready. All new ultra premium body wash and a two in one shampoo and conditioner. I'm a huge two and one guy.
Starting point is 00:38:50 Why would you have to do it twice when they can make them? Do you have this? Did they send this to you? Because I have. No, I haven't. They don't. Dude, I don't get the manscape stuff because it gets stolen from me in the office. Like you guys all got the boxers.
Starting point is 00:39:05 I never loved the boxers. We have an. open box of supplies you can take that next. There's one ready for you to grab next time you're here. Two and one shampoo. So much easier. You just do it once instead of twice. It's time to give yourself the gift of beautiful skin hair and balls this holiday season.
Starting point is 00:39:22 I guarantee your hygiene routine will never be the same. Go to manscape.com slash talking for 20% off plus free shipping. Make sure you're feeling and smelling prepared for a little action under the mistletoe. Tis the season to load up on Manscape products. I think I converted the few guys When I went to San Francisco And that trip We were talking about this a little bit
Starting point is 00:39:43 And I asked them What they were using They were just using like hair trimmers On the balls Yeah And I said Wake up I have a promo code for you
Starting point is 00:39:54 It's talking Go to manscape.com And use it And you'll see the light Literally this thing has a light on it Hey did you Did you and Jake talk about your trip To San Fran on an episode?
Starting point is 00:40:05 We did Okay. I had a good time, man. I was, I had to text Trevor because I was just blown away that on a weekend, Gabe was at the field. You said that he was like, do you want to go to the field? No, no, no, no, no, no. I requested it. Okay. So he wasn't just there? No. Although he does go in to the field and does stuff, not on a daily basis in the offseason, but he goes in. in there. Dude, when we went in, there was a ton of people working about. So I think they have guys using the stadium. Like, there was trainers and clubhouse guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of pop.
Starting point is 00:40:46 It happens. But I just gave us so San Francisco now. It just cracks me up that he's working out of the stadium like every day. One more thing I can give. Yeah. He, if you're in San Francisco, it's a good chance you're going to see him riding his bike around the city. Like, that's what he likes to do. So we had like the ballpark visit with him. He ended up meeting us out for dinner. And then the next morning, Olivia and I are walking and go get some coffee. Sure enough, Gabe Kapler on his bike, just like rolling through Chinatown, like up and down the hills. And that's what he told me. He likes to. He's like, I just go and I search for a hill and then I ride up it and then I ride down it and I find another hill. I'm like, no, make sense. Dude, if you live in San Francisco or you're around that
Starting point is 00:41:31 area. I think he lives in North Beach. That's my guess. Confirmed. Then Santa Con is happening. And you'll see Gabe. Just go there for Santa Con get drunk all day. I had some fun. I like a sent two Santa Conts in a row. Santa Con like you're like a real thing, right? Yeah. Everyone dresses up like Santa and just day drinks. Sounds fun. Sounds like a lot of fun. It was really fun for two years. I tried to do the third year when I was kind of past it and I was forcing it.
Starting point is 00:42:05 And I was like, this socks. The two years were drinking like eggnog and stuff. Like, no, I sure. You really got to get into it. I'm not an eggnog guy. All right. Saya, saya. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:42:17 Saya Suzuki. Time to, like, BBD, do we have a wamp, wamp, wamp, sound effect? I fucked my dog on that one. Oh, my God. What was that? I fucked my dog on that. that one. It's just Jake on vacation.
Starting point is 00:42:35 I'll talk about his dudes. Uh-oh. Anyway, um, uh, we went through the list last time when Susugo was coming over. We can go through it again. There's like two MLB hitters that have been above average. And it's Matsui and Suzuki and Ichro. And now Otani, but, yeah, now Otani. He's like such a different league, though, that I don't even count him as like a regular hitter. Yes. went through the list. It's just, it's, it's, it's, it's very rare that guys can come over and, and, and, and, and be a plus hitter that lasts and, and performs every day. I, there's got to be others that have like, you know, played a couple seasons and not been, like, bus, like they
Starting point is 00:43:23 made it. They survived a couple seasons. But if you go any list, it's Matsui, each row and, and Otani. It's, so it's very, I mean, I don't know how they get a team to pay any significant money for hitters that have only hit in that league. You know, if this guy, if Suzuki, I don't know, but any Japanese hitter, if they've gone to other leagues, if they played like Winterball on the DR or played at Venezuela League and they performed everywhere, I don't know, I don't think he has. I think a lot of the Japanese players, because I can't post, is playing Japan. Pan. I mean, we've just...
Starting point is 00:44:04 I think there's some things they can do. There's some international stuff, you know, whether it's the WBC or I think he just played in the Olympics. So there are some times where you get that cross, you know, I don't know where you cross, whatever, playing. But to your point, and I've talked to, you know, Siosha Nishioca and then, you know, other Asian leagues as well. You know, Bianho Park came over and he was from the KBO. go and they both said the exact same thing to me. It's like they're so surprised at how big everyone is and how hard everyone throws.
Starting point is 00:44:39 You know, they have guys in those leagues that can hit for power and they have guys that throw hard in those leagues, but it's not on average what we have here. Like that was the thing they kept saying was everybody can hit for power here. Everybody throws hard over here. And to be,
Starting point is 00:44:55 and to, I feel like I repeat myself whenever we talk about, but it's just, I tell people, imagine going, imagine a big leaguer in the States MLB guy going to a new league
Starting point is 00:45:07 this new league where everyone's kind of like two inches taller, three inches taller, they throw three, four miles an hour harder. It's that kind of thing for these guys and you know,
Starting point is 00:45:22 maybe times are changing, maybe, you know, high velo reps are in in Japan and they're seeing the velo more and more and preparing for it. And I, because I do think that's the biggest equalizer, I'm excited to see it. I love it.
Starting point is 00:45:38 I love that, you know, that he's going to challenge himself and come over here because obviously he's having a great career over there because I don't know, like, is it his choice to be posted? Because that's something I'm vague on. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Because he's still under control there by the carp. Well, there's like a-
Starting point is 00:46:00 Maybe the chat can answer that for me. Yeah, let's see. Our notes say, a 30-day window for teams to negotiate with him by 1222. If he doesn't sign a contract by then, he returns to the Hiroshima cart. He's been compared to Braves, Ronald O'Cunia. That's nonsense.
Starting point is 00:46:16 Please don't listen to comparisons. Please don't. Please don't. I'm excited. I love it, man. I absolutely love when guys come and challenge themselves. They're playing at, their highest level, they know there's another, a higher level. And, you know, when you have a guy like
Starting point is 00:46:34 him to come, instead of staying safe and challenging himself, that's just so cool to me. He will still get his full 30 day posting if he has not signed in the next nine days. If there's a stoppage, he gets 21 more days to sign and it's lifted. Yes. So, all right, I mean, I just think, I just think you got to get him, you have to pick up a Japanese bat as a surplus unless they are, like, coveted, coveted, coveted guys. He kind of is. I mean, this is... If he was coveted, we would have heard his name a year ago.
Starting point is 00:47:06 Well, the guys who you find out who they are the day they get posted as a casual fan. You know, Otani, we knew about, Metzui we knew about. But he has been getting a lot better the last two years. Like he's... One of the things that people keep pointing out is,
Starting point is 00:47:22 like, his walks to strikeouts are almost one to one to one the last two years. And he also continues to have power. That's exactly what teams are looking for now. Patient hitters of power. So he fits the mole. He has a nine-year MPB career with a 985 OPS. Like putting up real numbers. I mean, it's obviously league's translating stuff, but. I hope I, I wish I wasn't as cynical as I am. I wish I could just like be optimistic and
Starting point is 00:47:47 excited. You can be cynical. It's like prospects. They got to have to prove it to you. Yeah, I mean, they compared Clint Fraser to Mike Trout for God's sake. just don't listen. Just don't listen. Don't ever listen to a player to player comparison ever about someone who's not in the MLB yet, please. My one thing I agree. And here's something I found interesting. It's like this is not a blind posting situation, how it was with Shohei, where teams just went in and said, this is what we're going to give to you to be able to negotiate. This is an instance where he does get to negotiate with, like you said, all 30 teams.
Starting point is 00:48:27 and then the carp, they take a percentage of that contract. It's kind of fascinating how they do it, Jim. They take 20% of the first $25 million, 17.5% of the portion between 25 and 50 million, and then 15% of the portion exceeding $50 million. So breaking all that down, if he signed a $100 million deal, the carp will get $17 million of his deal. That's kind of crazy. Yeah, not bad.
Starting point is 00:48:59 I wonder why the other... But think about this. 17% of your deal plus, and that's before taxes, and then you're getting taxed, and then you have your agent fees. Like, this is, it's, that's significant, dude. I wonder, can anyone who's much more knowledgeable and familiar with the Japanese professional baseballies, like, let me know.
Starting point is 00:49:17 Like, you know, the guys from Korea come over and you can get some guys that last and can hit. Or they come over when they're 18. Obviously, like Venezuela and a lot of South American, you've got a lot of hitters. Is it because they only face Japanese talent? So by the time, like you're saying, maybe the World Baseball Classic, maybe the Olympics, but are they not allowed to go play other leagues? Or is it just not custom?
Starting point is 00:49:45 I guess someone who knows this, let me know. It seems beneficial to let these guys go play in some different arenas and different talent. so you can have more international stars because that benefits Japanese baseball as a whole. That makes sense. I do want to clarify. I just screwed up everything I just said. All the numbers are right,
Starting point is 00:50:09 but they're not taking it from say yet. It would just be an additional fee. Yeah, I thought they paid. Yeah, I thought they paid the club and then they paid the player. It's a new system, so I wasn't. The old system you had to pay just to negotiate. Just to negotiate, yes.
Starting point is 00:50:25 And then he could only negotiate with that one team. Yeah, you had to pay to enter like the conference room. And then you had to get a deal. But if you didn't get a deal, you still, you paid to get in the room. Yes. That is a crazy system. I kind of like it. It's hilarious.
Starting point is 00:50:43 But I mean, I don't know who it favors. It favors the player, the player, because then they can hold you hostage because you're like, well, we already paid them 20 mil just to get in this damn room. We're not leaving without a deal. This one's great too, though, because. can negotiate with every team. So you have the leverage. Yeah, that's true.
Starting point is 00:51:02 Imagine if American players had this. The draft is, it'll never come to an end, but my goodness. I think if anything, there's an international draft is more likely to happen than this. I don't think, I don't think they'll ever be more draft. The players won't go with that. Yeah. They're using Cohen's like tweet. against them now when he said
Starting point is 00:51:28 his treat about Rocker. Oh, yeah, yeah. Like a lawsuit. It's funny. We have some front office updates. Ooh, super exciting. Some smart people. Your Texas Rangers signed Chris Woodward to a contract extension.
Starting point is 00:51:45 I like him, so I'm happy. I guess Shrug. I got to look. I've been so mad at the Rangers for so long. I think I got to give him a chance. you know, I'd like them to let it be known to the public what their plan is. And then maybe I'll like them.
Starting point is 00:52:04 Yeah, you're right. I just, I just never know. Like they've been happy with them. Well, they knew they weren't going to be very competitive. And I think he is not true. You know that's not true.
Starting point is 00:52:21 They made some interest. I don't know. Yeah, they thought they were. What was that one picture with Kluber, Lance Lynn, and who was the other guy? Gibby.
Starting point is 00:52:28 Was it Gibby? or was it Hamels? I don't know. Glober, Lynn, Gibby, I thought were the three. Was there another one too? And it was like the West, like Lookout West.
Starting point is 00:52:42 Yeah. The Rangers are back. I think Gibby was like the four and there was another one. Yeah. Chris Young, you know, he's there. He's there GM, I believe. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:52:57 He's a player and maybe, I don't know, man. And I feel like if I didn't have such a bad personal experience, I'd kind of be into what they're doing. But I think the whole thing that I had blocks me. That's fine. Mike Minor. Yeah, Mike Minor. Thank you, Chad. Thank you, X edits.
Starting point is 00:53:16 That's how you say it. All right. What else we got, bro? Mike Grutman is joining the Red Sox organization as an assistant GM. Don't care, don't care, don't care. Colin Murray will be joining the Orioles as development coach. Marius worked with some colleges. Cool. Congrats to him. Red Sox exercised a club option on Alex Cora.
Starting point is 00:53:35 Sign him for a 10-year extension. Yeah. Make him figurehead a lifetime manager. We had this conversation a lot on here about how there's no more figurehead managers because of the nature of the game. And on the new podcast, Toe in the Slap, Coney interviewed Tori. And they talked about that, how there's just no more figurehead managers. There's no more like that's his team.
Starting point is 00:53:57 And Tori said, Sosha was the last one. I was like, yeah. I kind of think there might be some in the works now. I think Kevin Cash is a figurehead for the race. Like, he's not going anywhere.
Starting point is 00:54:08 Lock them up, lock horror up for 10 years. But they don't have to. That's the thing. I know. Do you think these teams should maybe take a chance? Maybe bet on some of these managers? Yeah,
Starting point is 00:54:20 they should. I placed it bet the other day. Tell me, Jim. On my Draft Kings app, promo code John Boy when you sign up. And let me see. I placed a bet and it's like a motocross bet. Oh, my
Starting point is 00:54:35 goodness. Yeah, I think it was when Jake and I were pre-recording an episode of Talking Yanks. Logging into my app. And I think the whole thing got pushed. Oh, no, I lost. You lost? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:54:50 On motocross? How do you bet on motocross? Well, it was the raceers. It was the world Superbikes Championship, 2021. won and I bet that Jonathan Rea was going to beat Toprak Razgalu
Starting point is 00:55:04 and he didn't I would have been a big upset I would have won big money I don't know if I've talked about this on here my cousin race supercross like legitimate professional
Starting point is 00:55:19 he raced is not anymore he's really good do you like the Disney movie motocrossed probably he likes all things this is a true story like from the time he was like two years old or maybe even sooner like he had a dirt bike and was like riding a dirt bike he was it was crazy
Starting point is 00:55:39 do you think you feel most comfortable on a bike at a dirt dirt park no i actually i'm more of a street BMXer oh yeah that's totally my bad I can build you a nice dirt jump, James. Like I've built many, many of dirt jumps in my day. But I was not good and I was kind of scared of that. Street was more of my thing. I'm grinding. I'm jumping stairs.
Starting point is 00:56:10 I'm, you know, doing interesting stuff like that. Yeah. I built a fun box when I was in middle school. I had like a lip and a rail and a straight ramp, curve ramp. It was a lot of fun. You guys can do fun stuff by going to Draft Kings and you bet $1 on any Thanksgiving NFL game and win $100 in free bets if either team scores a point. So once again, they're just giving away free bets.
Starting point is 00:56:32 And then you have a lot of money in your account because they give you the free money. And then you can find some fun stuff, bet on you can bet on the weather and literally bet on the weather. I think that's what they were doing when COVID happened and all the sports were on. There were gamblers were just turning to the weather. Like I did like a whole thing. Like, well, will it get with a high be over under 80 in LA? Will it be over under 45 in Topeka, those stuff?
Starting point is 00:57:00 I didn't. And where do they measure the weather, where do they measure this high temperature at? Yeah, I guess they have to say they're going to use probably weather.com, which is my fourth favorite website. You and C. Rowe should have like a discussion. He's a big weather guy.
Starting point is 00:57:16 Well, I'm not the biggest weather guy. My father-in-law, I can tell you the weather everywhere. But weather.com, the fact that they got that locked up early, just makes me so happy for them. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:57:27 I had to talk about domain sites and, like, in gobbling them up and what's going on. I have Youeatbugs.com. It's a good website and I was looking at it the other day. Haven't done anything with it yet, but eventually it'll get there. There's something. Olivia and I bought the nudist.com.
Starting point is 00:57:46 Why? I swear God. You gifting it to Jake? No, she was going to do some stuff with, some press on nails. She was sourcing from China, doing all these things. And we bought the domain.
Starting point is 00:58:03 I'm pretty sure I still have the TikTok, the nudist, which is probably give that to Jake. Coveted it, yeah. Download the drafting sports. Sorry. Download the drafting and sportsbook app. Now use promo code Johnboy.
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Starting point is 00:58:36 Other front office moves, Mets officially named Billy Epler, the new GM. Now they can actually start their off season, which is nice. Billy Epler, highly thought of, got the Angels show hey, because he like made a bond with him when he was a teenager comes from the Yankee system that's all I know about him the show he stuff like
Starting point is 00:59:02 they still had to win the the post I don't think they did because he had to take a minimum he was so young show he still had the post show he was completely no show his was completely different he came so over so young
Starting point is 00:59:23 Because he came over young. Yeah. He couldn't get more. He couldn't get a ton of money. So everyone... I know that. That's why all the money was in the posting. The team got all the money.
Starting point is 00:59:34 But I... He wasn't available. He wasn't able to get a big contract, but the team still had to post for him and they got a ton of money. But I think anyone... I want to say that angels gave like $40 or $50 million. No, I know. I think it's 20.
Starting point is 00:59:48 Like it was just $20 million was the posting fee. Like anyone could have got... that show hey because he was he had a cap on how much you get earned because he was so young so it was strictly where he wanted to play which is why yankees thought he was going to want to come be a yankee because it was like bright lights he's blah blah blah bill star um but then he had a really strong relationship with epler who like been recruiting him forever is the story that's up anyway that's all like the bullet points i know on epler yankee system started talking to showy when he was like 17 18 18 years
Starting point is 01:00:23 years old. So when it came time, they had a relationship. Okay. I'm reading, I am reading up on it. And yes, if Shohei would have stayed one more year, I believe he could have done everything.
Starting point is 01:00:35 Which is why it was so cool. It was like, this dude just wants to come over. He was like, fuck that. But Mets get Billy Epler. Go Mets. I'm going to be a Mets fan next year.
Starting point is 01:00:49 Someone that's been a GM before. So that's good. Yeah. Like someone that has a reputation as being a good, I don't know if his like reputation as a GM is good, but his reputation as a baseball guy. He's got, he's got,
Starting point is 01:01:05 you know, known allies in the industry, blah, blah, blah, blah, it's not just like an agent turned GM or just a random guy promoted. So there's some stability in the move,
Starting point is 01:01:15 I guess. Is Nate Steele in the chat? I want to, if he has some insight into Epler, I'd be interested. I don't think he is. I don't see him. I mean, he's part of the Angels team where you need pitching and they never got pitching.
Starting point is 01:01:30 Yeah. I think Mets might be my team next year. Like one of the teams I root for. Jolly and Jerry are going to be very excited. Yeah. I think I'm over the Braves now. Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I mean, you bid them like, everyone's still in love, but you're just like, hey, you know, I enjoyed my time.
Starting point is 01:01:51 I'm going to go visit the next house. someone just said please go to the Mets bad luck ploof yeah he doesn't understand that people don't know things best luck in the history of luck slash skill slash talent slash your god I got you that plaque and I haven't even seen it yet I have I got one also it's awesome I know I know I did it I bought you one I bought us one I have to find a place here to display it I bought it before it came true
Starting point is 01:02:21 Wow. It was really bold. I'm glad you didn't tell me that. I think it was like once we got to four games or something. I believe that's when we punched it. That's how my brain works. I think of an idea, I do it because I don't want to sit on things. I was like we can always just return it.
Starting point is 01:02:43 I don't know. Probably not. It's a custom plaque. Yeah. I don't think anybody's going to take that back. Yeah. We'll put it somewhere nice. Oh, we put our somewhere nice.
Starting point is 01:02:53 It's in the ice. Yeah. After a decade with St. Louis, Matthew Carpner has heard from a few teams about a potential contract. He is super prepared for an extremely slow free agency. Okay. Yeah. That's a good update.
Starting point is 01:03:12 Wow. The race have reportedly offered Wander Franco a record-setting contract. Imagine if it was the other way. It's just so low. They probably went acuna levels. I'd assume. It's got to be nine figures, right? Maybe they said record setting low contract.
Starting point is 01:03:29 It's an insulting offer. Ten years at the minimum. They might. I think because his service time so low, like record setting would mean like, yeah, just beat that a Cooney deal. Well, he's got six years left, right? So say they gave him a six year, like the minimum would be, if they did six years, 10 mil a year, I mean, that, that's more
Starting point is 01:03:55 than he'd make in arbitration. And I don't know if that would... Depends what happens. It depends because we don't know what the CBA is going to say. Why would you guys... Why would anyone sign before the CBA? I don't know. What was the Coonius deal?
Starting point is 01:04:11 Seven for 100, I think. Eight for 100? I think eight for 100. I'll double check. Eight years, 100. And then there's two options at the end. The Braves can exercise. Holy smokes.
Starting point is 01:04:27 They should just exercise them. Yeah. Damn. The Pirates are hopeful of resigning Susugo. Okay. Red Sox are interested in Stephen Matt's. A's are putting a high asking price on Matt Olson. And then reports came back that the asking price isn't that high.
Starting point is 01:04:49 Not a lot really going on, right? Not a lot going on, man. Where's Kirchmyer going to get traded to? That's interesting. The Dodgers, right? God, you'd be so good there. They need a center fielder unless they resign Taylor. I mean, Eric has a list of people that,
Starting point is 01:05:07 need center fielders, giants, Phillies, Astros. Oh my God, KK on the Astros does not work, but I would love to see it. The Dodgers makes sense to me. Friedman probably drafted him. Do you draft them?
Starting point is 01:05:26 Yeah, do it, right? Probably. KKs like an 07 draft guy, I bet. Now I've got to look at that. Everyone needs center fielder's. 2010. So Friedman,
Starting point is 01:05:41 probably drafted him. If the Dodgers don't retain Taylor, then they just have kind of belly there. And he had a good postseason, but you're not going to, they're going to have to hedge their bets and Keirmeyer. I think you get what? You get two years of them. He's got two years left.
Starting point is 01:05:58 That's why the that's why the raise are going to trade him. He's got 22 and a team option for 23. So that's very good for a team. And the Dodgers have so many prospects that they can just part ways. and they don't need offense
Starting point is 01:06:14 that's my guess that's great his eyes would pop in that blue he'd be a star out here I don't know man he kind of puts his foot in his mouth a lot whenever he talks
Starting point is 01:06:33 but maybe yeah but he would I don't know he looks the part how about that yeah yeah he's spinning that glove and people will eat it up
Starting point is 01:06:42 yes he's he's all he's got a lot He's got a lot of skills. He's got a lot of show to him as well. The outlaw. Come on, man. That place. He's going to be in a Geico commercial before we know it.
Starting point is 01:06:59 Anything else you care about? Children's happiness. My wife. I care about you guys. The fans of John Boy Media. What else do you care about? I don't know. When Jake comes back, I'd like to get some more kind of like structured shows and some big ideas.
Starting point is 01:07:23 Yeah. This was good just to catch me up to date, but I, again, there's this thing that happens that is so frustrating. I have John Heyman muted on Twitter. And people tag me in his tweets all the time now. And they're like, this is just like you said. This one made me think of you. And I'm like, guys, I don't want to see these. Stop it.
Starting point is 01:07:52 it's like there was this girl that me and my friend me and my sister were friends with on Facebook and she just had the terrible posts and I so I unfriended her and then my sister would just send me screenshots of her post and I'd be like hey I don't want to see them trying to curate your own little world I ridded this did Heyman's street go heyman's I'm I might I might be able to get to a laughing point with them again because this the ones that I've been tagged in are crazy. He's a lunatic
Starting point is 01:08:26 on Twitter. I don't follow him. I don't... All right. Everyone tag Treb. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't tag me. My little online world is perfect.
Starting point is 01:08:38 It's nice. I don't block anybody. I don't think. I got a few people muted. I got a lot of people muted. Heyman being one of them. Oh, no. What?
Starting point is 01:08:52 Oh, no. What happened? What happened? in your stock crash talking baseball just put out my quote saying I'm over the Braves now Braves fans are coming at me why would they do that I just talked about how my nice little online world is perfect and now you're going to blow it up that's a that's a misrepresentation of what you said it is thank you very much I'm going to say delete yeah I'll get your back in here I'm going to say I I they're calling me you know
Starting point is 01:09:31 Trevor Plouffe with two L's probably. That always hurts when you see that. This is bullshit. Yeah. I'll be texting a social media person. I was just going to say misrepresentation. How do you spell that? Representation and then M-I-S.
Starting point is 01:09:51 Well, what if I do like a M-I-S-S-like misrepresentation? Ooh, like you missed it. I'll say, no, no, like, like, hi, like, she's not married. but she's a woman. People don't know. I can play the heel well. So if the Braves fans are going to turn me into a heel, don't.
Starting point is 01:10:13 When I come back, fire in, I don't want anybody getting upset. Don't do it. I was here saying like, yeah, you can get off the Braves, but everyone's going to be lovy-dovey.
Starting point is 01:10:26 Like, you did them well. You stood by them. Time to go. Bring your, you know, welcoming kit to the next house in the neighborhood. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:10:35 I'm just going around talking. Oh, dude, I see. You can't go to the Mets. Because it's Braves. Yes, there is a problem there. Like if you go Brewers or Diamondbacks or Blue Jays that, but then what I'm saying is you can't leave the Braves, go to the Mets and think the Braves fans are going to be cool with you. So you do have to kind of think on this a little more before you make it official.
Starting point is 01:11:02 I haven't like made my, I said, I think the Mets. might be my team next year. So, like, I obviously have not made a decision of who's winning the World Series. I need to put that out clear as day to everybody. I am not picking the Mets to win anything or, like, I'm not going to join the fan base on Twitter. They've been extremely rude to me. Okay. I think it'd be a fun challenge.
Starting point is 01:11:29 Okay. All right. I got to go hang out with my son because Katie is going to do stuff. It was nice being back. Me and John Baby have been FaceTiming quite often. I just say a bunch of words in his ear and just prep him for the day.
Starting point is 01:11:47 We get to fire Jake. It's the best. Yeah. Sounds like a little bird. Yeah. His first word's going to be, you're fired. It's going to be tough for Jake.
Starting point is 01:12:01 It's going to be tough. All right. Next Wednesday we have a show. It's a very important show. It is the all-j. team. We did during the season. We did every single month. I mean, oh my God, is it a fun show? We have like new terms, new trophies. We have a whole like, I don't want to spoil it, but like stuff that will live on in talking baseball like like like lore for like 10 years. Like these guys will be
Starting point is 01:12:32 imprinted. It's, it's important. There's never been a more important episode. It's important. that's very important. We have all weekend to catch it. Yes. Enjoy your thanksgivings. Love you. Bye. You baking a turkey, James?
Starting point is 01:12:48 I do the apple pie dessert. It's my job. Jake sucks.

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