The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Astros Take The Series vs Nationals & Get A New 3rd Baseman, Trade Deadline Is Today

Episode Date: July 31, 2025

Astros Take The Series vs Nationals & Get A New 3rd Baseman, Trade Deadline Is Today

is the Matt Thomas show with Ross. To an H-Town. Good morning and welcome to a Thursday edition of the Matt Thomas show with Ross. This is Sports Talk 790. Mid at May Park, a little one o'clock day game. Is our friend Jose Altovae, the greatest astro of them all, ever going to get five hits in a game? That's not the only thing he's got left to do, right?

He's done everything else. Monumental Grand Slams. batting championships, 200 hit seasons, big time postseason play. MVP, three batting titles. Does he have a gold glove or no? Yes, one goal glove. Twice the greatest. Guys, 30-something years old, getting four hits.

Help out the local nine. Good for him. I mean, he's having a good season. Better than I think someone were forecasting. His career 830 OPS is only 118 points behind others in Astros history. What's the career OPS for him in the postseason? compared to some other grades in the asterisk. You know what, we've got time to focus on that.

Good morning. Hey, Rossi, how the hell are you? I'm doing great, Matt. How are you? You're looking already. You can't even wait. You asked me. All right. I'm too. Go ahead. Talk. Talk. All right. You can talk to me when you're down. Are you writing a song?

No, I was going to go off a little bit of a Stevie Nix hit. Okay. Hey, it is a Thursday. turn the station. Why, what's on? Shahati looks shahat. Oh my God. But there's baseball trades going down.

We've got to watch MLB Network without you getting distracted like some sort of animal. Deadline. Can you just stop dog whistling and stomping your feet for five seconds? Look, Jeff Passon's talking about trades going down. We have a huge trade that just went down involving the athlete. athletics. Hmm.

And by the way, this trade will slow down the construction in Las Vegas. Yeah. Or maybe it'll speed it up because they're not spending. No, because, all right, for those who know, Mason Miller, the close, you know the guy that throws 104 miles an hour? Oh, my God. The guy who has the fastest pitch ever thrown in Diken Park history? Yeah. He just got traded the Padres.

That's a shame. Oh, wow. He's not going to terrorize the asteros? Well, the reality is probably Mason Miller was never going to pitch for the Las Vegas A's, right? Well, well, he's got. No, he's only his, he's got like two or three more years of control. It had to be quite the whole. 20, 28 would be the first year of the A's play in Las Vegas.

And you and I will be there for that first year. I want to say he's under control till 27 or 8. I'll go, look. I mean, I don't know the arbitration years of Mason Miller. 2030, yeah, I thought it was a long time. Wait, 2030. And you can't keep him until then? It must be quite the whole.

But even then. Yeah. Number three overall prospect goes. That's number three overall prospects. Overall in baseball and three others. Okay, well. Dallas DeVries a shortstop, three others? That makes sense, I guess.

But you still have Mason Miller under control for four more seasons, right? They got JP Sears as well. Dylan C. sounds like he's on the move now. Could that be too? Houston, Texas? The Padres are selling, huh? No, they're buying.

They just bought Mason Miller, huh? I'm confused. I confused. I didn't think St. Eagle. Padre fan knows what the hell is going on. I don't know. They're pulling an Astros off season. Today, speaking up, the Astros have a trade in the books.

And it sounds like those of you that were reporting that Carlos Corrie is 100% surefire selection to going to the Houston Astros, maybe losing on that one. Can we have a little hard to heart with Astros' Twitter? We can. It's not going to work. You are not reporters. You are fans. Mm-hmm. and maybe one of you

knows somebody who knows somebody who picks up their dry cleaning or is their home chef or is their Uber driver that may say, oh, I heard this. You're not a reporter. Here are the two biggest problems. Astros' Twitter thinks they're reporters

and they're not. They just throw stuff against the wall. That's why you have to mute Astro's Twitter during this time of year. I've done that from, I will do that from here on now. And number two, the Texans credential too many non-media to be media. Other than that, the Houston sports market's in great shape.

I think that 10 to 2. They're doing great on sports radio. Oh, the Houston Sports Market? I'm sure those other shows are to agree with you. I'm talking about this one. Oh, this one, okay. We're doing great. When we're staying on task.

We are staying on task. I mean me too. I don't always do it. No, you, you get off task too. Because Lauren Shihani is a goddess. I mean, it is what it is. put four burly men on there and I don't care what the hell's going on. Shahati makes the show stop. Okay.

That's fine. Keep it on there. It's deadline day. Come on man. And she's wearing that on deadline day? Think that's fair? Tell the truth. She's just wearing a dress.

Go ahead. She's got nice gams. Gams? Gams. That's a 19, I don't know, 40s term probably. We'll do it in your 1940s voice. we can do it. Well, that's got some nice gams. That Lord and Shahadi. That launch, I don't know why I rolled my R. They didn't roll R's in the 40s, Ross. Well, yes, they did, Matt. Just not on American TV for some reason.

A lot of dark, complexant TV. All right. All right, let's go. Let's get back on the focus. Yes, let's get on task. Yeah. All right. Good morning. It is an at Thomas show. Astros have won two in a row, folks. And the Mariners lost again last night. Yes. So the Astros are up five in the division. Beautiful. So, I mean, we were almost like clinically depred. When you lose four to the A's and the first one to the Washington Nationals, you're like, is this life worth living, right?

It was all over. And then they beat the Nationals two in a row. Yeah, you lost five in a row and you had Framber calling out the defense and positioning. And getting upset. Oh, have you checked out Fromber's Twitter account? Yes, I have. I mean, I've seen it. I haven't really checked it out. Is that, that's obviously somebody interpreting for him, but what he, is he even really saying those things?

I would imagine? Maybe not. I mean, it could be, yeah, it could be marketing people. Yeah, I mean, I would say of celebrities that a large, like, for instance, Paul McCartney, I don't think is going to Twitter. I think Paul McCartney's PR team is doing it. And I don't know if Frumber's got a PR team, but he's been, he's a Cartney, he's barely awake. No, he's not. He was in the 80s. No, he's doing great. He was in the Billy Joel documentary just the other day. Oh, really? Great. Those Beatles are never going to die. They're going to be 119 years old, touring. I mean, two out of four are doing great. They're both in their 80s making millions of dollars. In Paul's case, making billions of of dollars. Well, didn't they sell off the rights to all their music, though?

Way back in the day. I don't know who owns it now. It was Michael Jackson, but then he died. Yes. Did they resell again? A lot of people think that he was killed so they can get the right. So the record company can get those rights back. Wait a minute. It's conspiracy. Absolutely. Michael Jackson was. You're saying,

I'm not saying he did. You think John McCarney had Michael Jackson killed. Hold on. I'm refereeing here. I'm saying it's a theory. Matt's saying no. Jonathan's saying yes. I'm not saying John McCartney killed him.

John McCartney did? His cousin? I'm just saying those executives had that planned. Oh, the executives did. Apparently, yeah, the doctor wasn't licensed to administer I don't know, man. It was the whole thing. All right.

Astros have a new third basement. Thank you. Oh, it's the best. We have the trade deadline clock. By the way, MLB, thank you for this. Six hours, 48 minutes, 453 seconds and counting. Do we have our counter, by the way? Does this, Jake, Jonathan, know where our counter is?

We got John McCartney. Got John McCartney. We need the count. So anytime, here's how it works, Jonathan. Anytime we mention the trade deadline, you have to play this clock. And this is a clock that will be used to be played for about five, six seconds. It's just for like a production value for the radio show. And here it comes right about.

There it is. Yeah, I'll have John invited. I don't want to deal with this. Just fire that off whenever you feel like it. This is also a clock for the University of Houston beating down of SFA in a few weeks. How about that one? Yeah, there you go. That's a clock to work good.

It's kind of scary. It's from a game show, correct? It's used on several games. It was used on several game shows. Okay. All right. 713, 212.5.790. We'll tell you more about the Astros' new third baseman.

I would think that probably closes off any chatter of Carlos Correa to the Houston Astros. And that's probably, we'll have an official, officially I don't just don't get at 1130. I never got it. And we'll explain more at 1130. I also have another, I just don't get it that revolves around baseball. It's something my son did two nights ago. Things I just don't get. We'll have that 1130.

Brian McTaggart with us at 11 o'clock. Oh, you don't get that? Yeah, I get it. Well, we'll discuss it. 713-212-5-790. All right, so let's give you the latest on Correa before we get to the phones. Bob Nightingale reporting that it sounds like it's dead. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome are saying that talks are ongoing.

Now, there could be a combination of all of that, right? Yeah. All but dead means they could be ongoing, I guess. I don't know if this is necessarily huge conflict. Bob Nightingale has had a good run lately. Yes. If the Astros get him, that's going to make him look horrific. Which Bob Nightingale's done that before?

I'm going to be just honest. I trust Chandlerone more than Bob Nightingale. I mean, ain't even close. So here's what Bob Nightingale said 17 minutes ago. The Astros trade talks of the twins for shortstop. Carlos Carrere are all but dead. The Astros asked the twins to pay about 50 million of the remaining 102.5 million left

in Correa's contract and to include an outfielder. The twins rejected the offer and aren't budging. Rome reported, I think, what was it, yesterday, and Jeff Passon did that the sides weren't close. And then he, on a 21 minutes ago and update, it's like a rolling update on the athletic and their trade deadline page. Yeah.

From Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome talks remain sources from both teams downplay the likelihood of a trade talks however remain ongoing so I think all the above could be true so let's go to the nightingale tweet first

the Astros want the twins to pay 50 million of the 102.5 that would be 502.5 over three years that's very Jim Crane friendly yes even though it counts towards the tax still but it's also nice to get the cash but at least you don't have to yeah you're not you're not

You're not paying at all yourself. Jim Crane like stars. If there's anything that's, you know, if there's consistencies in the Jim Crane ownership, at least the good times of the Astros, it's, A, we don't go over a certain length in our contracts, and B, he makes his general manager really busy chase after stars late in seasons. Jeff Liddle, James Click,

and Dana Brown know all three of those situations, All three have had to go do that. He doesn't want to pay for a contract that includes the prime and the decline. He just likes to give out contracts that only include the decline. I swear to God, if I see one Justin Verliner rumor here. It's not happening. No way. It's got one win.

Come on. No way. No, it doesn't. But my point is this. You could, in theory, bring him here. Urius can play second base. And you could move Carlos to third. Yeah.

And then what happens next year? If Paredes isn't part of the trade. By the way, Jimmy, Isoc Paredes, there was a Jimmy Paredes. There was. Esauk Paredes, they're saying six to seven months. Where did this come from? This morning.

Okay. I didn't see that. I just woke up. It's fine. Six to seven months that they hope that he's ready for spring training means he'll be ready probably by the All-Star. This is announced by the Astros? Oh, no, of course not.

No. I was going to say. No. I want to say who gets, who gets, the note on that. It may have been nightingale. Yeah, Nightgale, too. Six to seven months on top of how long he's been out? That's, yeah, that's like...

Well, that sounds like surgery first. That's off the bone and surgery. I want y'all to go fill your hamstrings. Right this second. My left one's been tight for a little while. What do you been doing? What do you mean? I'm telling you, you need to check that out. I just been getting old. No, it's been better. I've been rehabbing. Man, is your hamstrings messed up? No, I'm fine. Mine's are fine. Now, I've got other issues. Trust me.

My veins are not in great shape, but that's a different issue for a different time. No, it's been rehabbing, but then I've been re-injuring. Okay, so you've been active. Pull that hamstring off your bone and see how it feels. No, why would I do that? Why don't you just get it off the bone? Let's go. Get it off the bone?

Keeping it on the bone. You want it on the bone? I like my muscles attached via ligaments and or tendons to the bone. You're bad of the bone. No. God, no. George Thorgood. Properly rated?

Overrated stole all of a sudden. songs. On the phones we go, let's talk to line number two first and say hi to Joe on Sports Talk 790 at 1024. Joe, good morning. Hey, how are you all doing? I was just going to say it's really impressive what the asteros have done with all the injuries and still being in first place. And I was thinking if you took half the Rockets roster or half the Texans roster,

I don't think either one of those teams would be in first place. And I was just wanting to know if there's ever been a team that, that had this many injuries and still want a championship. And I'll hang up a listen. Thank you. Well, I'm going to go and say yes. This is easier than looking it up. I mean, what kind of question is that?

That's a, that's a, that's a, that's a multiple hour research. Sorry, I missed it. I was looking up George Thurgood. So why don't you, why don't you do that and calls back? He wrote bad at the bones. You know what? I'll walk that back. I'll give him some credit.

Thank you. I'm sure he appreciates that. Live or dead, George Surgud. He is 75 years old in life. No, I'm sure there have been plenty of teams that have been beset by injuries that have won championships. But I just know what I mean, I guess we can go to AI, but I don't trust AI. No, you shouldn't trust AI. Nor should Min's Health magazine. It's true.

So here's what, I'm going to give you all a homework assignment. Yes. Find a team that had 20 or more injuries that won a World Series and get back to us. And we'll give you credit. The Green Bay Packers in like 2011 had, all like 13 guys on the IR or something and won the championship with Aaron Rogers.

But that's a 52-man roster here, friends. I'm just, I'm sorry, all right? The man wanted a baseball question. Don't give us this football stuff. I'm sorry. It was the first thing that popped in my head. There you go. There's your answer.

The Green Bay Packers in some year. Thanks, Ross. Remember they went on a, they were mooned on a magical wildcard run? Start calling you in Cyclopedia, Bricanica. Britannica. I'm sorry, it was 2010.

Jonathan, you know what encyclopedia is? Of course I'm not with the unsecretion. Have you ever, no, an actual, have you ever opened and thumbed through and read an actual Encyclopedia? Yeah, like one of those thick ones, yeah. Oh, okay. What letter was it? What letter was the encyclopedia?

Yeah. They're alphabetized. You read the whole thing? No, I just, I just, I just, I just did it for, I just, I just did it for a project, for an assignment to, for sources. Wikipedia didn't count. I know. Are there Clifstone still?

in 2025? Yes, and they're very helpful. Oh, yes, Lord. I would have my papers thanks to you. Thank you, Cliff Notes. Terry calling us in parts of Ohio, the unknown part of Ohio. Terry, where are you calling us from? Cleveland. Cleveland. You sound chipper this morning. Terry, how the hell are you?

Good. How are you? Good. What's up? What do you think about, I'm a big Houston fan and Philly fan. What do you think about getting Stephen Kwan from the Guardians. I think it's very unlikely.

He's won three straight gold gloves, and he's a good contact hitter, and he's under team control for a couple more years. According to WTAM and Cleveland, they're willing to trade them. WTAM is, or the Guardians are?

No, WTM Sports Director. Oh, the sports director's willing to trade him. 286 this year, 9 home runs. 38 RBIs, 115 hits. I mean, he's going to be, if he gets moved, he would be a huge addition to any baseball team. He's 27 years old.

I mean, he's completed three seasons in the majors. He's won three gold gloves and left. Yeah. Oh, left field? Yes. Let's see. Career OPS 755, OPS Plus 113. That's pretty good.

Not a ton of power, but a good contact hitter. Yeah, and would be absolutely in addition to any baseball team. Not a free agent. until 28. Anything happening. Yeah. Until 28, that means you've got to give up

serious, serious prospects. I mean, hey, I would love Stephen Kwan. I wonder if that caller Cleveland, he's just calling

different cities around the country. That's actually not a bad idea. No, I mean, it's Stephen Kwan. He's calling everybody, calling the Dodgers. Hey, guys, would you like Stephen Kwan?

Why is Garrett Kohl making these phone calls? It's funny, Cal McNaminer makes those calls. It's always, Garrett Cole is making those calls. Garrett Cole actually is not busy. He could probably make those trick them.

I like Stephen Kwan. You know he's got seven kids? I didn't realize it. Stephen Kwan does? No. Cal McNair does. If Stephen Kwan's got seven kids, he's got to slow down. He's under 30. That cow is quite fertile. Clearly.

Because my wife's like, how many kids do they have? And I didn't know once I went to a Wikipedia. He's got three with wife one and four with Hannah. We can play seven on seven with my children. you're going to get admonage for that horrific accent. You just are. You're going to get admonished for a lot of things.

Jonathan, I wish we had a better example for you in your young broadcast career than this man over here to my right. I'll tell you the bartender in hell, I like my whiskey on the rocks, and I'll see you there. No, I've already determined I'm stuck in purgatory. Okay, y'all, this is going to break. That's the first time Jonathan's ever done that He's like, y'all are way out of here Way out of left field

Go to break Go to break, he says 1029 He's not wrong Yeah, more of this I think it's 50-50 Quang gets moved But it's gonna be for a haul

By way He's not coming here I don't think But the one team I'm really pissed at The Seattle Mariners I'll tell you about that next 1029 on Sports Talk 7 outy All right so the Mariners

Go get Josh Naylor From the D-backs last week, right? Yes. And then they go get Eugenio Suarez last night. Seattle must be stopped. You hear me? So you got those two

and you get the big crapper? I mean, God. It's the big dumper, man. Same difference. The Mariners are going to be a threat. This is a problem, gang. Number one, it's funny that the Mariners had a

I Johanio Suarez and they could have signed him to a deal and they're like, nah, we got to keep payroll low, so we're not going to sign him. And then he signed somewhere else and they trade prospects for him. Kind of like the Astros did with Justin Verlander. But, I mean, all that notwithstanding,

the bottom line is they're way better on the field and they added some serious sock to the corner infield spots. Yes, good thing that the Astros have a five-game cushion right now. But I do have a feeling, gut feeling. Yeah, the Mariners are coming. Rangers aren't going

away either. Calling this race already would be premature. Who would do that? Not me. No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get that shot in. But you know what I'm saying. No, they're good. They made some moves. They got good pitching. They're going to be a threat. This is legit. This is bad.

This is not good for us here in Houston. And look, Ramona Urius is pretty good, but it's something else has to happen. You've got to have things go your way with the injury side. We've got to see something else happened today and then it's it's all about being in that

aOS race with the good news being that you have the five game lead but I'm feeling more scared of the Mariners than I have all year long from what I understand I don't have a great frame of reference on yours I did put some in season highlight I found a YouTube clip of some midseason highlights

for him this year okay I saw you put it on short at SportsMT thank you very much he looks like to me to be maybe a little bit more of a pop Maricio Dubon plays multiple positions primarily third baseman

this year but has moved around a little bit in his career. Has won a gold glove. Yeah. Had a gold glove season and then apparently from what I ran on the intelligence reports had two really bad defensive seasons but has bounced back this year and has club control for one more year after this so

OPS plus of 92 and explain for the audience what an average OPS is 100. 10% above average is 110. 8% below average is 92. That's what he is. Dylan C's stuff has cooled. Doesn't mean it doesn't can't uptick again, especially now that the potters are adding amazing new players. Yeah, the blurb that we read from

Rosenthal and Rome that had the Correa thing also mentioned that they're still in on CIS and Sandy Alcantra, but they could be they could be outbid, obviously. They can't win any bidding wars. So real quick before going back on the phones, Correa, to me, would indicate a massive decision for the Astros in the offseason. Honestly, if Isak Paredes is healthy, you're not kicking the tires on Korea. So it's not one of those.

What would you do then? I don't think that's a possibility. I think the decision to bring in Correa is because they're deathly afraid that Isak Paredes is going to take a long time to recover. And if the report from Night and Yale is accurate, we're talking about what they say, six, seven months he said. In the hopes that he's ready for the start of spring training. I've been hoping a lot around these parts of the injuries

and haven't been... By the way, good job for Jeremy Payne going deep last night for the Space Cabell. Yes, he did. Okay. He's ready to bring him up. Let's go. He'll be back tomorrow, huh? Oh, yeah, I would think so. But, and again, don't... Ross, tell me this is, if it's too hot of a take, then I'll backtrack off of it. Let's get the sizzle going. If they move for Correa,

they're going to try to trade during a paining in the off season. Makes sense. One leads to the other. You got to figure something out. If you're keeping Paredes, if Paredes isn't part of the deal, which I wouldn't think a team wants a dude

with a hamstring off his bone. So I don't think he's going to be part of the deal. No. So, yeah, that makes perfect sense. Okay. Boris client, arbitration years left. Very tradable coming off of his best offensive season. Very tradable.

Yeah. Because you look, first of all, you are investing in the long-term future of Correa because he's got several years left in this current contract. He's got three more, yeah. And you've also got a huge financial investment from a flat out paying him plus what's going against your salary cap. It's three years after this year, right? Yeah. For Correa? Before vesting kicks in, potentially.

Are you going to keep him at like 33, 34 years old? Correa I'm talking about? Because if you do that, let me give you plan B. Do you trade Bryce Matthews in the offseason and see if Pena can play second base? I don't know. I can't imagine the Astros would want

the last third of Carlos Correa's career to be at a position at shortstop when you already have been concerned about what Jose Altova was going to do for you defensively at second base. I just don't think he's coming. I think everything, all these mental roadblocks are coming up with,

our reasons to not trade for Carlos Curr. I would agree. I just think that look, I do like Carlos a lot. I do think it would be an added boost. I do think obviously his best years were he as an astro, but that was, what, three or four years ago? The numbers

have declined. Yeah, let's talk about him right now. He's got a 0.1 war on baseball reference. Like he's, he's just okay. OPS Plus we were talking about. Now, he has yo-yo. It's weird. Here's his last four years in OPS plus, Matt, as we mentioned, 100 is average.

138, 94, 94, 151, 92. He's got 92 this year. He's been very up and down, very bizarre. How many games do you play? Last year, he only played 86 before that 135 and 136. And how many this year? 93, so he's played

a lot this year. He's played a lot this year, and that's one way for good players to accrue wins above replacement, and he's at 0.1. So he's been an average player. Yeah, it's not because. he's not been playing. He's just not been good. I just don't...

I think there may be the average fan that just may be at the water courting going, hey, have you heard by Carlos Gray coming back and thinking this is 2017 Carlos Correa? The name excites me more than what I've seen from him... Not what I've seen, but you know what I'm saying, but what I'm reading from what he... His stats and all that type

of stuff from this year. He would be an awesome influence in the clubhouse. He's been there and done that. He does have still pop left in his game. What? what that's is, but man, you are, not sad, like that's an unfair statement. You are, he makes a lot of money. I'm worried about him having chronic injury, like back issues and stuff. I don't think he's best served being, I think he's best served, frankly, being the future

third baseman of this team where you don't, it's not nearly as taxing as it would be playing at second or shortstop. I think second base would be an afterthought, but you can, you know, I'd be shocked if he was an Astro by the end of the deadline. Let's go to Jim on the Heights at 1042. Hello, Jim. Hey, guys. Thanks for taking my call. You guys are always a great show. Love it a lot. But, boy, this is like Christmas Eve, right? So, you know, I'm going to go back in history on one of the greatest trades that never took place, the Robert Orie trade. You remember that, Matt? But I want to ask a question that I sincerely don't know the answer to. What player,

are projected to come back in time that are injured, currently injured, and make an impact. I know Penae, and I think Arigetti, I just don't know. What are we got in the pipeline that might help us from that injured lift? All right, so let's do this. It's actually a good question. Thank you, Jim, for the phone call. Let's be real. And if I'm forgetting somebody, the Senzo doesn't move the needle for me.

Okay, right? Brandon Rogers doesn't move the needle for. for me. Paritis is already done for the year. Yeah. Garcia slash Javier slash France.

Arrogetti's close. No, no, he's already mentioned Arrogati. I think Arrogati and Peña can be difference makers immediately. In the what are we going to get card,

Garcia, two years of Tommy John. Javier, Tommy John. Lance McCullors, the world's worst blister. it's only 15 day i'll it's not like he's on the 60 day i'll come on man it's a bad bluster who must have my forgetting it would be impact moving players anybody i i think ergetti's the headliner as far as jake myers jake myers gang i'm not holding out hope that he's coming

back every time the astros give an injury report on him it says he's rehabbing in houston not like hey he's about to go down to florida go do a rehab stint somewhere. None of that. That's been not amazingly quiet, but as expected, very quiet. When you have nothing good to report, you keep it quiet.

And I've heard really nothing about Jake Myers. DeZenzo's kind of an intrigue. You've got a lot of wild cards, too. DeZenzo's kind of a wild card, I feel like. McCullors is certainly a wild card. Correct. Mostly not in a good way. But Pena's coming back soon. If you get Pena and Yoron,

Peña, Yordon. Oh, Yoron. I forgot about Yordon. Pena, Yordon, Arigetti, Javier? I'm saying let's go win a pennant. See, I'm not going to put Javier slash Garcia

slash France in the, they're going to help me a lot this year card. I feel better about Garcia because it's been two years. But yeah, setbacks with elbows, yes. Arrogetti, it was a freak broken bone. There's no reason why Arrogati can't ramp up to being a naughty pitch pitcher

within three weeks. Which I'm not worried about, yeah. What did he throw 60s last time out, I think? So, yeah. So to answer your own question, Jim, and you kind of said it already, the two guys I absolutely expect to make some sort of impact, Pena and Aragetti, the rest of them, as Rossi said, is a wallet card.

And that's assuming perfect health for Hunter Brown and Framber about this. You just had to just put that in there, didn't you? I said assuming perfect health. You did. Brian McTaggart. Fifty minutes from now on Sports Talk 7. Brian McTaggart. You're in about nine minutes from now?

I think I've always... I've got to figure out where he's from again. I mean, he wouldn't doubt it's Ireland, right? The sources close to me have confirmed that he is Scotland and Ireland. So we can do it to make Tagger. He's a Scots, Scots, Irish. And Scotland is a lot harder of an accent to do. So we'll stick with Irish.

Scotland's a little deeper, right? Yeah, the guttles from your throat. 713-212-5-790 7-1-3-212-5-790 It's a Matt Thomas show with Ross If you'd like to join us I'd rather talk to you than Ross Be perfectly honest with you

It's okay Matt You know I had to call her Martin say that When Ross laughs he sounds like a hyena You are the hyena I've had a lot of people call And get upset with my girlish laugh Or why do I laugh like a woman or a hyena Shut down bum ass up

I laugh how I laugh I don't care I'm tag it at 11 o'clock. I just don't get it at 1130. And by the way, I'm looking at this video of the racetrack baseball stadium. Yes. They're going to get 80,000 people in there, and 50 of them aren't going to be able to see the game. You're not going to be able to see the game. What they did is they took the baseball dimensions.

They put it in the middle of the, as I thought, the infield's huge. So it's not nearly as cool as I thought it was going to be. I know. Like I would like to be able to see a home run hit into the grandstands. It looks like they cleaned up all the Natty Light cans. so that's good. Now, what if a player trips over a skull can? Is that going to be a problem, Ross?

It might be, man. I don't know. Right. Two good lines about both of us. I'll accept both. Ryan on 7. Ronnie, Ryan, good morning. Good morning, fellas.

So, 26 minutes on hold waiting to tell you this, because I'll do your research for you. Thank you. The most injured team, the most injured team in sports, one of the sports histories would be the 1972 Los Angeles. Angeles Lakers. Whenever Elgin Baylor missed 73 games, he retired in the middle of the season.

Keith Erickson missed 67 and the playoffs. Flynn Robinson, missed 18 and half the playoffs. Pat Riley missed 15. LeRoy Ellis, 8, Jerry West, 5. Will Chamberlain played with a broken finger and a wrist but played through it. And they won 33 consecutive games

and the NBA final. Do you hear that, ladies and gentlemen? This is what Ryan did. Ryan said, I'm going to do research for the Matt Thomas show with Ross. The only recognition I'm going to get is just being on the show. You'll get no cash in it for that. And God bless you for it, Ryan. How do your bosses feel about this, Ryan? Does your boss even know?

This allocation of their resources. I was at a job site. Oh, okay. They were doing the roof. I'm not going to, I don't roof. I make sure the roof is getting done. I get all my checks. So you're all good.

I've looked it up. All right. I'm going to say something right now. And this is a rule. for all of you. Next Friday, we're going to be at Talia Brewing, and we're going back to Tell Your Brewing Week from Friday. Ryan was out there with us last time.

Ryan, for your, for research, I'm going to buy you a beer. I'll drink it. I figured you would. It's going to be on the tab. Matt's not really buying it. No, no, I will buy it. I will make sure you see my, you saw my debit card last time. Matt's wallet will not, it will not, it will not, it will not. It will not exit its pocket.

That is ridiculous. All right. I didn't have a little personal. I know mine didn't. All right. I need to have a little personal, yeah, yours doesn't. They had to cut you off. That's true, actually.

Get this jackhole out of here. They don't call you alligator arms villarial for nothing. All right. Eric in Bay City. Oh, my God. Hold on a second. I can tell you something. No.

Listen, real quick. Eric requested me for a Venmo. Not a Venmo. For a cameo. I'm not going to do a cameo for you. So I'm not going to take your money. Why not? Because I'm just not.

give it to me he wants me to do a pep talk for him it's good so i'm going to cameo to him he can call this show for free and i can do it so what do you want for a pep talk and i'm here to help you right now for free well

i'll tell you who didn't need a pep talk was that double a player that hit a bomb off of spencer ergeti the other night i'm not excited to get this guy back at all i am however excited to get carlos karia back today and if we don't bring back carlos i will be disappointed I mean, probably on the roof of the house, disappointed. But what I really think we need to do is rather than talk about Dylan Seas, I would settle for Verlander, but if we could go out and get Rich Hill,

I mean, he struck out Kyle Tucker and Matt Olson in the last week. He's available for the league minimum, and we can help him set the record of playing for 15 teams. On second thought, I'm going to do the cameo for you after and take your money from you. You okay with that? Yeah, as long as you stick to the script, Matt. Okay, I have not seen the script. As long as the script is not obnoxious, it makes me look bad or sound bad, I'll do it.

But if not, I'm going to have to reject your claim. It makes you to tell the truth about Ross. I will tell you that. And about how bad we need to bring back Jack and Rich Hill. All right, that's just, you know what, rejected. Eric, I love you, but I'm not taking your money. So I'm going to, I can actually reject the cameo. So I'm going to reject it.

No, I'm not taking it. No, I'll do your cameos for, like, birthdays and for, introduction of your little league teams. I'm not doing it to justify your whack-ass sports takes. Rich Hill last time out for the Royals, four innings pitched, four earned runs given up. ERA

that's quick shows me as nine. Before that, five innings one run ball. Okay. It's the Cubs. ERA of five so far this season. I'm good. Eric. Eric, and I'm not taking your money.

All right. I will take Brian McTaggart's money. doing what? I don't know. No, we don't. We should, though. You guys throwing quarters like Michael, Michael Jordan? You know, we should throw dice on an Astros playoff series. There's a little room in the press box.

There actually is a nice-sized room with the good back wall there. Brian McTaggart up next, 1057 on Sports Talk, Severati. Great friend of the show, Brian McTaggart, with us here to talk trade deadline for the next 12 or 13 minutes. Normally, it's a good 10 minutes with him. Going 12 or 13 with him. Wow. overtime. He's going to want overtime.

He's going to claim extra money, that's for sure. He'll be in Boston. Tomorrow you're going to be meeting a new third basement, Brian. The question will be, will you be meeting anybody else by the time the Astros and Red Sox play tomorrow at Fenway Park? Yeah, that's a good question. I think so. I don't, if they

can get there in time, you know, I certainly think the Astros, well, I know they're working on some other things here today. And I'd be surprised if they don't get something done. obviously they still want to get a starting pitcher. I don't think they're done looking for offensive upgrades. So Urias trade is just part of it, but this is by no means their big move.

I think that's still to come if they can pull it off. Let's go to Aria's for a second. It feels like to me, maybe I'm wrong, is he just in theory perhaps better Maricio DuBahn, or are they one of the same at this point? Yeah, I mean, it looks like they're a little interchangeable. I mean, to me, Dubon's is more valuable because he can play the outfield. Urius is more of an infielder. I mean, he played almost exclusively third base this year.

So, yeah, I think it just gives them somebody they can put it third, see what else they can do, what are the kind of bats they can get. But if they're not able to pull off something, at least they have somebody they can put it third that plays a goal-gloff third base, can handle the bat a little bit. That's, you know, an upgrade over, you know, Zach Short and Shea Whitcomb, and some of the guys have been playing here in the last couple of weeks. But I guess, you know, is there a chance?

Maybe they moved to Dubon somewhere. I know they don't want to trade off the Major League roster. But he just does so many things. I just don't know if that would be a good move for them. All right. Let's get to another infielder been talked about. Carlos Correa spoke yesterday in Minneapolis. The rumors have not died completely,

although the Urius move probably slows it down a little bit. it feels like to me, and we were talking about this last hour, that there's been consistencies in Jim Crane's ownership since the team has been relevant. One, he's not going to give you super lengthy long contracts. He will give you fair market value, but it will not be for the 8-9 mega deal. And number two is if there is a star player that he has his eye set on and he really wants him, he's going to tell his general manager, whomever it is to go get it. Whether it's Verlander, not once but twice, whether it is at Granky, whether it is going,

going to get Josh Hater in free agency. And in this particular case, this feels Jim Crane driven. So let me ask you, why do you think if you were able to get into the head of the owner of this baseball team, why Carlos is so appealing, especially because there is so much money attached to the remainder of his contract? Yeah, I mean, first of all, I think the twins would have to eat a significant amount of the remainder of their contract. I mean, that teams for sale.

I think that they're obviously trying to shed some payroll here. You know, how much of the remaining three years would they be willing to eat? Craig's also a businessman, and he knows that getting Correy in here is going to provide a boost. It's going to provide a spark. You know, remember when they both times they traded for Verlander, especially the first time, it was like, wow, you know, Verlanders here are Verlanders back and, you know, provided a spark. That being said, a lot of times these reunions don't work out very well. You know, Coray is, you know, not the player he was. still a good player. I think he could be a really good third baseman. I think it would be a popular

move in the clubhouse, certainly with a guy like Jose Altuve and, you know, if he's on board, then everyone else is going to get on board. I mean, he'd be a player that could help them, but it's weird because I still think their biggest need is a left-handed bat. And, you know, you are going to get Paredes back probably next year. Then you have Correa, Urius, a little bit of a log jam there. So I see why they'd want to do it. I'm not sure it's the best fit at this point. Willie Castro, you know, left-handed hitting infielder who, you know, can move around a little bit for the twins and doesn't make all that money, makes a lot more sense. So, but Astros are probably got a lot of fires, a lot of irons in the fire, you know, looking at a lot of different things. And that's

just one of them. And with the irons and the fire, and we've talked about this farm system for the Astros, just the deals you've been kind of seeing around baseball and kind of relating that to what the Astros have to give up, where do you think that puts the Astros as far as getting in possible bidding wars? Yeah, well, they're probably a little bit They're going after, you know, some of these guys that a lot of teams are after. I mean, we just, you know, the trade went down with the Padres and A's and, you know, A's are sent them, Padres are sending one of the best prospects in baseball to the A's.

You know, probably a better prospect than the Astros have. So that's going to make it a little bit more difficult. But they do have prospects to get deals done. You know, they don't want to trade off the Major League roster, but guys like Jacob Melton and Shea Whitcomb and, you know, Chas McCormick could probably use a change of scenery at this point. Not that he's not that he's going to help you get a deal done, but he could be part of a deal.

But it's going to come down to prospect capital, what they have to offer. You know, they do have a lot of arms and upper levels of their prospect rankings that I'm sure some other teams would like to get their hands on. So that's part of it. It probably, you know, obviously, you know, obviously that this and that day just spot than a lot of other teams just because they just don't have.

have the overall the quality of upper level prospects that a lot of other teams do, including the Mariners who are pulled off the Suarez trade. And I don't think they give up one of their top 10 prospects. So that was a big coup for them. Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk 790. And that was going to be my next question. How much more urgency do you think there is from Dana Brown with what the Mariners are doing? Yeah, I mean, I think I think Dana had urgency anyway.

I think, you know, he knows that with all the injuries and, you know, Alvarez, I don't think you can really count on when he's going to come back, if at all, this year. Paredes looks like he's out. There's urgency there to add a left-handed bat. But, you know, the team that's behind you in the standings has gone out and added Josh Naylor and now Suarez. They already have put him in a lineup with J.P. Crawford, Tau Rally. That is a pretty deep top of the lineup. They already have a really good rotation.

So they're five games behind the Astros, but right now they're roster. better and significantly better and healthier. So, yeah, Dana's aware of that, and that's why I think they're not done. They've got to make a move or two for a starting pitcher and another bat. So help me on it. Maybe you don't have a contact in San Diego, but just the general baseball. So the Padres go to get Mason Miller, but Dylan Cease remains out there. Why are they moving from Seas?

Well, he's a free agent at the end of the year. They'll get something for him. He's making $14 million. And so it's sort of a matter of let's get something why we can, and we'll replace them with J.T. Sears is on control for a few more years. So sort of just kicking the can down the road a little bit with a starting pitcher. But C.S. is a guy that a lot of teams are going to want, so they're probably going to be able to get, you know, a couple of prospects for them.

And otherwise they would lose them, you know, at the end of the year of free agency likely. So the fact they went out and got Mason Miller, you know, a reliever and got J.P. Sears a starter. that makes CIS a little bit more expendable now just because he is a free agent. He's making a lot of money. And so they'll give him some payroll flexibility here for the rest of the year. All right. If it's not CIS and clearly they are still looking for something in terms of pitching, does that give you the sign one way or the other that they're not completely sure

the guys that are on the farm and these rehab guys can come back and help? Are they worried about using Ryan Gusto the rest of the years, maybe a back-in guy? Are they worried about keeping McCullors? Why would? And maybe there's this, there's age old thought of in baseball. And we had to Jim Bonnan last week that backed it up. You can't have enough starting pitching. So maybe that's just a simplistic answer.

But is there a party that says if they're kicking the tires on Dylan's cease, that maybe they're not sure that what they have, even when the guys come back, and I'm including irrigating the mix, are going to be guys that can go deep into ball games and they can help you win a September pennant race? Yeah, I think there's no doubt. You know, Eric Getty was a rookie last year who had a really good second half, what made two starts this year. Looks still very much out on him. They're still way better off with him in the rotation over some of the other guys they have.

But Luis Garcia hasn't pitched in two years. Javier hasn't pitched in more than a year. J.P. France hasn't pitched since early last year when, you know, his shoulder was falling off. Those three guys specifically, and even Harrietti, yeah, you don't know what you're going to get. Dylan Cis is a guy who makes 33 starts every single year. And granted, the Astros get him. They're going to need him to make 10 or 11 starts, but he's going to do that. And he hasn't had a great year, but, I mean, he was a top five Sye Young finisher last year.

And if you can maybe tweak him a little bit like they did with Cicucci, put him behind Hunter Brown and Franmer Valdez. Dylan Cis, those one, two, three in a playoff series, that stacks up with anybody, including the Mariners. And I think they just want a third guy who is a horse that they know in the playoffs. They can trot out there and match up with other teams. I mean, last year they had to Coochee, and I guess he was going to start game three of the wildcard series, and they never got there. So obviously the goal is to get the first or second seed, and so you don't have to play in that wild card series,

and they can stack up their pitching as they want for the division series. Come more minutes with Brian McTaggart with us here on 790. Are Jacob Melton and Bryce Matthews untouchable? in your opinion? I don't think Jacob Milton is. I would say Bryce Matthews is just because the way they talk about him so highly. He's also Dana Brown's first draft pick. I think it would be hard for Dana to let go of him at this point.

I mean, he came up and had a couple of good games in Arizona. But overall, it's been a little overmatched at times, you know, offensively and defensively. So I guess it just depends, you know, what's your price? But it would surprise me, I guess, if they traded Bryce Matthews, would not surprise me if they traded Jacob Melton at this point. All right. Well, this interview has to go in the natural direction. Trade deadline interviews go, Brian.

Crystal Bull, time. What do you think happens between now and the deadline at 5 p.m.? I do think they'll get a starting pitcher. I know as of last night, CIS was their main target, and things were progressing maybe a little bit towards something getting done. So I'm going to stick with that they do land, Dillon Cise. and I'm a little bit less clear on a bat. There's probably a lot of options. But I do think they'll also land a left-handed bat.

And so, you know, how big of an impact player that will be remains to be seen. But I think it's safe to say when we get to Boston tomorrow. There's going to be a handful of new faces, probably including Jeremy Pena. And three or four guys who took the flight to Boston are going to be flying elsewhere. So it's, you know, what we got about six hours to go, a little bit of four. less than six hours. So it's going to be very interesting. I love this conversation. Tags. Great stuff is always from you, my friend. Safe travels

to Beantown and we'll talk again next week. All right. Sounds good. Thanks, guys. Brian McTaggart with us, MLB.com. And you'll hear from Brian tomorrow during the On Deck Show with Adam and Adam. Wow. Wonderful. Yep. Looking forward to it. So any more clarity from him in your mind or just still the same kind of question we're thinking about? I think we're mostly on the same page. Good stuff from Brian as always.

Yeah, I think he kind of not necessarily backed up completely, but he's in the same spot. To get these guys, two of these guys, Javier in particular, and Garcia, to be really meaningful players, Ross, would be probably the biggest surprise of the last two months of the year. To getting them back on the bump is a nice accomplishment. To be able to go help you win a division when it usually probably would be probably closer to 26 before they really start to be the guys that used to be, I think it's more practical. So maybe that's the reason why. They're just, and I think that if the Astros got a starting pitcher, this is Lance McCullors, you're on a very short leash. I don't know any other way you can sell it.

Because you can move Ryan Gustle back to the bullpen and be your long guy. That's fine. Brandon Walter and who's the other kid that was Colton? Colton Gould. Coulton Gorman. Which one is hurt? Is it Brandon Walter? Brandon Walter is hurt, yes.

So there's, I mean, no one's the best one. We're not waiting for him, put it that way. Although Gusto had a good start. You did? Gusto friend of the show. We love gusto. We go for the gusto here on Sports Talk, 790. I just don't get it coming up at the bottom of the hour.

Rossi, you got some things you don't get? Daily. I have one involving around this sport of baseball and what you do at a baseball game. Now, I'm not talking about the wave either. If you want to chime in, I want anything that Brian had to say, let us know. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-2-2-790. 11-14 here on Sports Talk 790.

So last night, each your night, I'm drawn a blank. Oh, gosh. The Dodgers superstar. Oh, you're, Otani. The CT kicking in.

Through six straight balls yesterday, and they were apparently way out of the zone. They pulled him early out of the game, and people like, uh-oh, something's wrong. He had a cramp. So a huge sigh relief for Dodgers. fans, all two of them in Houston, that Shoahotani can actually still pitch.

Oh, they got him some pickle juices, all right? I guess. All right, that's good. Whatever the case to be. I feel like I've gone backwards and forwards on this a hundred times. I think in what are we in 2025 now, I bet you by the start of the 2028 season, he is just doing

one thing. And I think it's going to be as bad. You could be right. Especially if he suffers any more major injuries. But You paying the guy $70 million to do both? Yeah, but they're paying him $70 million over like 73 years. Yeah, I understand.

Like his grandkids deferred. Yeah. Jeff has it. You should give it up to the Dodgers. They can defer. Why can everybody else? Everyone can do this. I don't understand why all the teams in baseball aren't deferring all this huge money.

Shut up. Jeff. You shmedia, I'm wearing. Hey. You know what? He just perpetually looks like a ring. bearer at a wedding, the boy. He looks like he's the guy that puts

his fist out of you fist bumping and you forget him and he goes, hey, what about me? That's rude, man. That's a best. Let's see, 15 innings pitch, 2.40 ERA for Shohei Otani. You know what you could do to preserve him both ways if you want to? It's just a bullpen guy.

It's opener? Opener. Astro saw the opener of Shoah Otani and they were, it was pretty impressive. or he can do both. You can be closer? No. I don't think they would want to do that. He'd have to be in the bullpen, right?

I mean, how does that work? How do you warm them up? That's what I'm saying. Yeah, you probably couldn't do that. No, I don't think that's practical. Opener does make sense. All right, let's go to the back to the phones. If I just don't get it coming up at 1130 here on sports.

Every starter can be an opener if you try hard enough. Lance McCullors. LMJ's like, we don't need Dellon C's. I'm coming. Bro, I'm coming back, bro. Fingers crossed. We're still on McCullors Island. When I was a kid, I was...

We're dipping our toe in the water, though. I was always told you only cross one set of your fingers. You know, if you do both, it's actually the reverse. I never heard that. Okay. I must have been a made, that's a made Creek thing. What did you say, Jonathan? I'm agreeing with you.

Thank you as well. I never heard that. Okay. Because you just, you just did both. One cancels out the other? Uh, or does the reverse of what you want? I never heard that. Okay.

No, they didn't say that in the Greenspoint Streets. They didn't have books in back in the Greenspoint Street. Yes, we did. How to hire a proper attorney. Luis and Katie. Hello, Luis. Hey, guys, how you doing? Good morning. Good afternoon. I'm sorry. I wanted to share something that a friend of mine

that who's been watching the Orioles since, I guess, Book Powell and Mike where we're playing. And he said me something about Orias. I mean, I know it was a good player. You probably already guys talk about it in the show and the earlier show with Sean, but this is what he says. He says,

you guys are getting a great player. Excellent infielder. Very opportunistic and clutch with the bat. And overall, very good team player. Never complains, always ready to play wherever and whenever they put him.

Occasional power, very decent. Just days ago, he hit two homers in one game. Golden Glove in third base, but also plays well on second base and first base. and first base, it's going to solve your hospital that you guys have in Houston. Besides, he must be very happy and very motivated to play with the Astros. Okay, guys, I'm going to let you go and then hear your comments.

Maybe you already talk about it, but it seems a very good play. Yeah, I mean, thanks for the phone call. I don't, I mean, the bio I read on him was three years ago, very good, two years to the last two years, not so good, the bounce back year a little bit this year. But again, in jack-of-all-trades. kind of the under the radar deal we talked about that we thought the Astros would make all along. Yeah. I mean, Luis is making him sound like the air apparent to Alex Bregman.

No, no, no, no. That's good. He hit two home runs in one game. He's got eight all year. So it's not like there's a huge power there. I believe the OPS is less than 700 this year. And it's 688. Yeah. He is slugging 388. So, yeah, it's not like...

But good utility player. I like the move. I'm with it. I think you're thought of upgraded Dubon or the potential to be an upgraded Dubon is good. Well, even though Dubon's OPS is around 700. Yeah, Dubon's actually having a very good season. And when I'm just saying, you know what part of this is

it's probably a goodubon off his feet. I mean, Dubon can feel like he never can take a day off these days. He's playing the cage of the outfield. He's been playing a lot of the infield because of the injuries to Paredes. He's been everywhere. Yeah, and the fact that Bryce Matthews can't be playing every day at this point. I mean, I hate to go cross sports on you, but we got a bunch of swing tackles on his team.

Hey, come on, man. Okay. A bunch of backup wings? A bunch of Dorian Finney Smith. Well, you don't want to build a team of utility, but if you're hamstrung... Bill O'Brienwood. But if you don't want to give... I mean, this...

Did you see the name of the kid that's going there? Yeah. Do you want to pronounce it? What is it? Twiner or something like that? It's something so odd. I mean, look, I have three children and try not to give him strange names. I don't think I did.

I think I'm three for three. But let me look up this guy's thing because I don't want to mess it up. Let's see. Twine Palmer. T-W-I-N-E. Mm-hmm. In my life, I've never heard of a person named Twine. Twine Palmer.

Ooh, that feels good for that. I think it's time to bring it back. You know what? let you go first. Me? Yeah, you're going first this time. Twine Palmer was an enterprising young man

from Skokie, Illinois where he ran a dairy farm and he had seven children that he all had churning butter. And they said they were the best butter churners from this side of the Mississippi. They had the sweetest, most delicious butter that anyone could find for miles,

that he would trade for various meats and also sometimes moonshine. From his neighbor, Leroy McCoy. Unfortunately at one time, Leroy Antoine got in a dispute over how much moonshine it would cost to get 17 kilograms of butter. And after much harangin, they had a dispute and they challenge each other to a duel. And unfortunately, during that duel, Twine slipped on some butter. And he fell and he was shot to death by Leroy. May he rest.

He was buried with a butter churner in his cast. in 1816. And they remember him well. Twine the butterman. What was his last name? Twine the butterman, Palmer. May he rest in all eternity. That had a great start, but it was, that was like a happy Gilmore there.

It just kept going on and on. It was only two minutes. Mine's going to be 30 seconds. Okay, hold on. Twine Palmer. It is an enterprising young man. He stands 6'5. And little known fact about old Twy and Palmer,

he was considered the first male jicolow of the mid-south. He went to the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, and dropped his seed on any enterprising young gal. He also was responsible for, for giving the first STDs east of the Mississippi. Thus, probably came over on the Mayflower.

Thus, when you get twined, you need penicillin. Thus the phrase, I got twined by Mr. Palmer. And now I'm taking all these medicines. And I've lost amputation in one of my legs. Thank you, Twine, Palmer. For giving me an STD,

losing one of my extremities. Wow. But it was a great 43 minutes. 43? He was a man that loved a lot of men. He was a man that loved a lot of men. He may have a lot of men too. He might have.

If you had the cash. He did have STDs. He would try a gesture for that. Yeah. So he was the first jiggleot? Now where did you? 1840s. Oh, no, there's jigalos before that.

No, no, no. He was in the mid-south. Okay. Also, penicillin wasn't invented until much after that? You don't interrupt my stories. Greg on seven out of a... Hello, Greg. Hey.

since the Astros farm system is kind of down in the dumps and it's been that way for a little bit, is there going to come a time where the Astros are going to have to start thinking about stop getting rid of a lot of their top prospects? Or are they just constantly going to be in this win, win now, win now, win now, and possibly when the division get to wild cards and then kind of fall out, you know, I'll hang up and listen. Well, it sounds like you've already got the forecast of the season. season. The reality is so far this offseason this training deadline, they gave up

our man Twine, was not considered a top prospect. No. Low-A-guy. I think if the Astros are going to win and go far in the playoffs, it's going to be pitching, pitching, pitching, and pitching. If they get Dylan Cese, when Brian Metaggart said Hunter Brown,

Framber Valdez, Dylan Cese, I mean, that's sexy. That's a sexy one, two, three. Even for short-term, two months. Exactly. You're going to be able to compete with anybody. And then if you're fourth as any of Arrogatti, Javier, whatever, you're in a very, very good spot. And

as I said, you get Arrogetti, Javier back, or at least maybe one of those two if you trade for a Dylan C's type. And Pena and Alvarez back, and I'm feeling good. I'm feeling like they have enough to at least going to win the American League pennant. So here's your dream rotation.

Really quick before we get to, I just don't get it. Hunter, Valdez, or Valdez Brown, whatever you want to say it. cease, Erigetti, and then whoever wants the fifth spot. But realistically, you only need four pitchers for the postseason. Correct.

Nice to have one guy ready to go out of the bullpen in case things go wrong. So that means Javier, that means Garcia, that means McCullors, if Brandon Walter comes back, Colton Gordon, you got options.

Ryan Gusser, so you got six guys fighting for one spot. You got options, but in the playoffs you need elite options. Yeah. And also, it's a fact. Frambers had some bad playoff runs. And he's going to call his out field out again. No, I don't think he's going to do that again.

He'll do it privately. Privately, baby, yes. He can't wait to do it. Probably he's been told not to do it anymore. Ladies and gentlemen, every Thursday on this radio, shall we ask you to think about your life for a moment and think about things you just don't get? And the three of us try to help you with such things. We bring things to our own life. We just don't get and we'll have it for you next. I just don't get, there's something in life you just don't get, whether it's sports

related, whether it's in your life. We're here to help you. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-2-1-2-1-2-790. It's how you reach a show if you want to get in. I just don't get it. Coming up in mere moments, 7-1-3-212-5-790. All right, here's how it works. We bring stories to our life. We bring to you, and we just simply say, I just don't get it. And I've got one right off the top here. If you have a story that you you or a thing in your life you just don't get the three of us, primarily me, a little bit of Ross and minimal work from a Jonathan will help you try to get things.

713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-2-1-2-5-7-90. So my son wanted some Astros national tickets for Tuesday night. And I said, why do you want to go on a rando Tuesday night? He goes, well, I'm not working. I said, okay, that makes sense. And number two, he says, I want to do 9-99. And I know what 999 is.

It's nine beers. Yes. Nine hot dogs. One per inning for nine innings. And it is obviously something that is going on around the world of baseball. Minor leagues are doing it on Dollar Dog Nights. The Astros Dollar Dog Nights are on Tuesday. I got an email today, as a matter of fact, that said there's a survey based off of what Twitter tells you,

what teams have the most 999 fans? What? The Astros are fifth in this list. The top five are the Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, Nationals, and Astro fans. Brewer's got to be up there. A bunch of drunkards in Milwaukee, right? Burs are sixth. Okay.

And so if you drink nine beers in an Astros game. We're talking like 16 ounces or what are we doing here? I don't know. I would assume the small ones. I mean, that's the thing is the smallest you give at the ballpark. So nine dogs at a dollar each. That's $9. Yes.

They tax with those or no? Yeah. Okay, so let's say nine dogs for $10. Uh-huh. nine small beers at what $7 a pop? No, you are out of touch Mr. Sweetman.

I don't drink beer at the games. Yeah. Yeah, I do. It's sweet I do. That's true, actually. Okay, $10 a beer for the smallest beer. More. For a 16 ounce beer, it's going to run you like 13, 14, 15 bucks, I think.

So that's another $100 there. So it's $11 to complete this feat. And he did it, he said. I'm going to say, I'm going to ask, all of you very politely, 1138. Why would you want to drink nine beers and nine innings?

Nine hot dogs over nine. And these baseball games are going shorter than they ever had before. I mean, it's about two hours and I worked Tuesday. Did I not? I thought. One of the games I worked. They're about 230 now. That's a lot of beer in a short period of time. I say Ross. I say

Jonathan, I just don't get it. Because you're going to get sick. You're going to gain weight. You're probably going to be on the pot before you know it. You're saying you don't get why a bunch of 23-year-old dudes, 25, sadly, or whatever would want to get together at a baseball game and drink as much beer and eat as many hot dogs as possible.

You don't get that? I get nine beers, nine hot dogs at your house. At your house? No, that's just alcoholism. You get nine hot dogs at your house? You do it at the baseball? Yeah. How many, you boiling up nine dogs?

You put them on the grill? You get after it. Get grilling up nine doggies. But you get a 12 pack for like 15 bucks, right? You can actually do them in the oven. They come up pretty good, just saying. My main point is this, that's a very expensive notch to put on your belt. It's just, we did, I did nine inning challenge in 2004, and that was nine.

We didn't do hot dogs, but we did, it was, well, me and my brother and his frat brothers, so that night got pretty sloppy. So you had nine beers and nine what? No, we did. didn't do 9-99. We just did 9-inning challenge. We did 9 beers. And you had to drink it by the end of the inning. Like as soon as the inning ended, you had to chug your beer. And we did shots for home runs. And that was when Carlos Beltran in the playoffs was hitting like five home runs a game. Okay. So you're saying you get it. Absolutely. I was like, well, I guess I was 19 then. Whoops, sorry, mom and dad. No, that was 2000. And,

I was 21. I love when you're out yourself. 2006, I was four. All right. All right, Jonathan, do you get the 9-99 bit? No, I don't get it at all. You don't get it? Oh, come on.

Nine hot dogs with nine beers. You're not doing it, but it's not about whether or you necessarily get it. Why would people do that? Because they're just broskies and they want to drink a bunch of beer and eat dogs. It's almost a guaranteed vomit. But the aftermath, yes, exactly. That's a heartburn. That's 24-year-old.

not getting heartburn. That's terrible hangover. That's probably a long vomit. That's probably getting in trouble with the law and or yourself. And by the way, you then have to Uber or have a, no, thankfully one of the guys that went with Cameron and his buddies was not drinking at all that night. So he was the D.D. on that. But, I mean, still, that's a lot of money to be a bro. Yeah. You're in your 20s. You do stupid stuff. I totally get it. He's 25. You get past the stupid stuff at 25. I'm still not past the stupid stuff. I know. I'm 40. problem my! Okay.

No, yeah. Okay. I thank you for your clarification on these things. Very easy. And it's gone viral. It's cool. You can make an IG story out of it. All right. I still go on it, but I get it. I mean, I just don't get it, but I get it from your perspective. Ross, what don't you get?

Why did the A's trade Mason Miller? He's under control for like three more years? I understand you got one of the best prospects in baseball, but you've got one of the better players in baseball under control for three years. Like, what's the point? What is the point? What's the end game? If you get these good young players and then you just always trade them away and keep churning them out,

and then you're never really good. They got four of the Padre's top 17 prospects, including the number three overall prospect. Now, again, it doesn't matter because if you're 2028, you're hoping that when you open up the stadium in Las in Vegas, that all four of those players are major leagues. Mason Miller throws 104. He's got the potential of being one of the best.

believer in the baseball, he can get you six out consistently as well. And you cannot make sure his arm is overused because you're not winning a whole lot. Okay. Well, I guess I didn't know it's for their top 17. For the top 17. But man, I just don't get what the A's are doing as an organization. The A's are what the pirates and the Marlins have done for generations. They just sell, sell, sell, sell, sell.

And that's why I think maybe in the end game that maybe the Las Vegas is going to be what they are in Oakland or wherever they've been. And that's another thing. I don't get, yeah, the pirates are selling off Key Brian Hayes. Like, how does Paul Skeens feel about all this? He doesn't care. He's going to be out of there as soon as he can. As soon as his, they're going to trade him away for a minute. They're going to trade him away.

Like a Juan Soto S call. For four top 10 prospects. Yeah. He knows it. That's why he's not buying real estate in Pittsburgh and I wouldn't either. And then that brings me to, I mean, just the, the competitive balance in baseball from the haves and haves not. It's have and have nuts. If you have a salary cap, you're going to also have a salary floor,

and there are going to be some teams struggling to get to that salary floor. That's why I don't know that that's even, I think if that gets dangled or proposed by the owners, it's simply a bargaining chip. It's simply to something to say, it's like you make a counteroff format to your boss for a big raise that you know they're not going to say yes to, but you know you'll accept something lower.

Yeah. That's why I think we're in massive trouble for the 2027. You said, now did you put your name on this? is a gut feeling. No baseball in 26 or 7? I can't buy my name. I can't buy my name on it, but I want you to do. I feel very confident about it. There's going to be some serious trouble. Serious labor issues in 2027.

You brought up Saturday. Do you hear by the way what Mad Dog said on ESPN that or day? I didn't see. No, I never hear what Mad Dog says on ESPN. So go ahead. He believes that Bryce Harper should have been suspended for going nose to nose of the commissioner of baseball for telling him to get the F out of the clubhouse. He thinks what? He should be suspended for saying what he did. That's his clubhouse.

That's not Rob Manfred's clubhouse Bet you cannot be that disrespectful to authority I get it I mean I would get that if he was suspended Also we don't know the details of the situation Probably Bryce Harper was out of line I mean basically his track record He's a bro he's a bro's bro just a really rich bro

Yeah he would do the 999 JJ Watt did the 999 He did do it Except he was doing it with 12 minutes cans Jonathan what don't you get I don't understand That you can merge on free freeways on some intersections and some freeways.

And then the other ones, they have this random stoplight that you have to stop at. It always confuses people, always backs of traffic. Everybody's just a break checking everybody. I don't understand. That's a genuine thing. I don't understand why it's not everywhere. That is to control the flow of traffic on the freeway. And normally they turn the red light on when it's like a lot of, so that you don't have people ramping up when there's a lot of traffic.

Yeah. So why have it right here at 610 and stuff, like where it's all backed up and stuff? Oh, because 610 sucks. It's backed up. So if you have everybody piling. in off the on the purpose of the on ramp is to gain up speed to 60, 65 miles

an hour or of course 95 if you're Matt Thomas. So if everybody's going 20 miles an hour and everybody on the ramp is ramping up to 60 miles an hour you're going to have some issues. So they do it to kind of throttle as Matt said the flow of traffic. So normally it's green

and then at least in my experience it's red, it flashes red when there's heavy traffic. Okay. I don't know how effective is. People like y'all just blowing through the red lights. John, I got news for you. You can run through it.

Don't do. No. No, no. You people are what's wrong with America. This is why we have all these traffic jams. You don't follow the rules. You think you're better than everyone else. And you're the reason this country's going to hell.

It's fine. They haven't been in California all the time. I've never had a problem. You're not going to take it. All right. So me about a safe. Mike and Roger up. Sick. People make me sick.

I totally get it. 1146. Sports talk, 790. We got some people we need to listen to because they've called and asked for advice on things they don't get. Let's go to Mike on 790. Mike, what don't you get, my friend? Can you hear me? Yes, sir.

Hello? Okay. Yeah, you're driving down the road on any highway or even on a two-lane road. and you're going really well because everybody's over on the right and they're letting you pass on the passing lane. What in the heck is wrong with these people that don't realize that that's what makes the traffic flow. If you're going to drive fast and pass, get in the middle lane. If you're not, get the heck out of the way. I don't know how many times I'll come up and I'll be real nice.

I'll flash a little bit and someone will just sit there next to another car for another 10 miles. What is up with that? What is up with that? Wait, he's saying just people driving slow in the fast lane? Yes. Okay. People are oblivious. I think somehow people don't know the rules of the road.

Yeah, the passing. Very common. If you got the need for speed, getting the far left lane, if you're the need to be at the limit or slightly above it or just want to go, you know, you're on a Sunday drive, far right lane. Let's go. I'm getting slow in the right lane. Granny style.

What's up? That's what I'm saying. Let's go to Dana and Angleton. Dana, what don't you get? Okay, I've been working in the Marble Ball area for the last week. Yes, sir. And I go to my motel cheapo TV and they got the Rangers Network. And I go to San Antonio and they have the Rangers Network.

And all of West Texas is the Rangers. Who makes that decision where the broadcast rights go? Because the Astros have been around longer in Texas and were better. and, you know, they get the whole stadium, and we get Houston, Corpus, and Bider. You know, I don't understand it. Well, I just don't get it. All right, I get you.

The Rangers do not have a cable channel. The Rangers have an over-the-air network that are probably broadcast in those markets. Space City, you have to have your hotel, has to have the Space City. My guess is the hotels he's staying at probably just don't have Space City. They had the Astros in Austin,

I lived there, but that was a long time ago. Everything has changed. First of all, the Territory Choles rules about major league baseball are whack. But most importantly, the Rangers TV network is over the air stuff. Okay. And direct TV. But cities can individually become, I want to be a Ranger TV network town. So maybe the stations on your hotel.

It just spends, like even nice hotels here in Houston. Some of them don't have you. Some of them don't have Space City. So it just depends on what chain you're at. Okay. Most chains, like sometimes if I've got a late night at Rockets game, I'll stay at a hotel right close to here to the station. The station, the hotel I stay at, which is a nice chain brand, does not have Space City. So I can't watch it.

But the Rangers are on Channel 39, which they are occasionally. I can watch Rangers. I don't want to, but I just do. So I unfortunately, tomorrow last caller, I do get it. I mean, I guess. Let's go to Roger on line one. Roger, what don't you get? Hi, good afternoon, Matt and Ross.

What I don't get is, it's a tire vendor that doesn't spend any money with your company, so I'm going to just go ahead and call them dismount wire. And they do have a policy that if you get a tire from them, they will repair and fix and do whatever is needed under the terms of the contract. However, I had a freaking nail on slight, not in the middle of the tire, but slightly on the left, not on the side wall, as they described. but on the, going towards the left side of the tire, about maybe an inch off.

So still the meat of the tire. And those guys are like, yeah, no, we're not going to fix that totally brandy tire. You're going to have to buy a new one. And I'm like, what? What side are you talking about? Which side of the side? It's in the middle, but towards the left. You know, it's going towards maybe, but it's not there.

It's just a freaking nail that I easily got repaired right there in the neighborhood with, you know, the guys in the neighborhood, no problem. Six, good, no, you know, any. But he said because of liability and, and insurance issues, like, I have to go on there with my council president next time. I don't, I just don't get it. So, that's it, Matt.

Well, you should get it, Roger. They want your cash. Why would they, they say they're going to repair your tire for free. And then, like you said, it's going to be close to the sidewall and maybe even not even that close. And they're going to be like, no, we can't do that. We've got to get you a new tire. So then they sell you the tire.

Then they try to suck you. you the warranty. Then they try to tell you that the, oh man, your windshield wipers are done. I'm like, brother, I just got them replaced last week. What are you talking about? Yeah. They're just trying to make you money off you. I get it. I'm going to be honest with you. They're squeezing you. Miss Scott Meyer has done my family

very well. We've had nothing but great service there. I have mixed results. I get that as well. I'm just telling you that with my, we have five cars in our family and we have had zero issues. Well, first of all, they've overfilled my tires every time I go there. second of all, they gave me, I got two tires and they were supposed to put them on the rear,

and they put one on the front left and one of the back right. I was going to call them out a couple weeks ago, but they were really nice and I wasn't going to do it, but it kind of came up organically today. So it took care of me, but yeah. And let me tell you something, Ms. Mount Meyer. If you'd like to spend money on this radio station, I will pronounce your name of your company just fine

and talk about how great my service has been. But until you do, you ain't need any more from me. I mean, I'm going to go back. It's not overall bad, but I was upset when they put my tires on wrong. What's better, Miss Mount Meyer or Renri-R-R-Ree? You are just making noises now. I have no idea what you're talking about. Yeah, I can't rhyme.

What about MET moyes? That's true. Brad, what don't you get? I don't know what you said. Well, I got two things real quick. I don't get why the Astros don't draft a first basement, and don't tell me because they can grab somebody from another position and put them on.

They haven't done that. Guriel was good. I don't know how they found him, but he wasn't like 34 years old and had a great past history. What they're doing is not working. They need to draft a young guy that grew up wanting to play first base.

I mean, I'm sorry you can laugh about it, but look at the last two. I mean, and then the other thing is, I don't get why they can charge all this money for all these damn tolls around town and all these areas, but then they don't fit the potholes, they don't fix,

the lighting, there's several places, there's lighting that needs to be addressed, and then when it's floods, they can put in a lot better ditches and stuff to gather the water up, but they don't do that, but they'll want to take our money for all these new freeways that, like,

it's all come up. You know, they've all popped up everywhere. Every time I drive somewhere that's out of time. but really like Katie. Oh man, I'm sorry, Brad. We've got to hit the top of the hour. I was some thrilling stuff there.

I really appreciate it. But man, we are really up against it, Brad. It's very simple. They're taking your money. Probably some politician somewhere is lining their pockets with deals. Getting kickbacks from construction companies who aren't doing their jobs. Who knows? Anyways, that's going to do it for I just don't get it.

We got to take a quick top of the hour. Our number two of the Matt Thomas Show with Ross is in the books. Hour number three. kicks off with a special introduction, and then the news at noon coming up next here on the Matt Thomas show with Ross. The Houston Astros take two out of three from the Washington Nationals, winning this afternoon, 9 to 1. And yes, the Astros can win a series at home.

Granted against the Nationals, but it is what it is. Been a tough two weeks for the local nine at home. Three weeks if you count the All-Star break, but on the road, Ross, they're warriors. And they better be when they got nine games against the Red Sox, the Marlins, and the Yankees coming up in the next week and a half. Will more reinforcements be coming today? That's part of the news noon. And we go to the Buster Only of Houston Sports News, Ross Vittal.

Thank you, Matt. Yes, a lot of moves being made with the deadline looming now. it will be at 5 p.m. local time. Please have something happened before our show end so the guys don't get bonus out of that. The Ustros trading for Ramon Urius, Urias, I should say. He is hitting 248 with a 688 OPS this year.

You didn't need to mention that. He does have a gold glove in third base in 2020. He can play all over the infield. Some pop in the bat. He's got eight home runs. this year. I guess that's not, you know, it's not nothing. He's 16 in 2022 when he had his best year of his major league career. Also is under team control for this year and next.

And he only costs you twine Palmer, the butterman from Skoket, Illinois. Matt, grade the deal. Okay, you don't really have to grade the deal. I mean, let's grade the deal October. Fair enough. Okay. How about it's like a lane? It's like putting down the mayonnaise on the sandwich before you get to the big meaty stuff. 4-07? What? What is it? You're talking about a man-ed-in-

It's been kind of a light week. That's why I brought that number up. Yeah, okay. I guess. You know what the problem is? I didn't say you put... What? Never mind.

I'm not going to say it. You're just careful. Because you're just trying to get me. I want you to be careful where you put your meat. I just said you put in the... It's like he is the mayonnaise to the Dill and C sandwich. The precursor. Dill and C. Still, by the way,

San Diego Padre, as we speak. He is. the cars to opening up for sticks. Okay. Meanwhile, our friends to the Pacific Northwest are very active. Yes, man. They trade. Thank you for sure.

Yeah, you're doing great. True professional, folks, except when he eats on air. So Josh Naylor traded by the Seattle Mariners. Are you serious right now? As coughing, sorry. Okay, whatever. I'm going to mentally move on from this. And now, I'm going to hear of Suarez.

is a Seattle Mariner. I'm not happy about this at all. Did not cost them any of their top ten prospects, Brian McTaggart said. Softy and our buddy at KJR. He's beside himself right now, right? He should be. The Mariners' lineup is pretty nasty now. And we know how good their pitching is.

And they got Anthony Munoz in the back. Not Anthony Munoz. Shut up. Andres Munoz. Excuse me. All right. Andres Munoz in the back of the, in the back of the line.

bullpen. But speaking of a bullpen, we did lose. We American League West brothers lost Mason Miller to the San Diego Padres. Thank God. Get him out of this league. Get him out of this division and get them away.

Mason Miller is a Padre. Potential lineup for the Mariners. Don't do it. Don't do the heart of the order. Julio Rodriguez, Calralli, Suarez, Orozarena, Nala,

Jorge Polanco Woo! That's way better than the Astros lineup. I'm just saying. It's not even close. It's not even close. Is Sees going to wear 84 for the Astros? Just saying, starting out there?

Because he wears 84 for the pods. Okay, does he? Yeah. Good for him. Just saying, just hoping that it happens. I mean, now he needs it, right? Something has to happen. Gotta get some arms.

They're going to stop this prolific Seattle offense. There has been talks about the Astros in on Dylan Seas, also in on a Sandy Alcantra. and also Carlos Correa We shall see if anything happens from there What's going on in Texans today, Sports Harvey? I have no idea. I guess you can ask Wex.

No, they're off today. Okay, I knew the answer to that. Blue Jays also landed Shane Bieber, so they've been beefing up the rank. Or Syung winner Shane Beaver. Yeah, but he's old now. What kind of season is he having? Well, not that he was of a couple of years ago. Let's see the old Shane Bieber.

Let me tell you how depressing is. You're a guy. You're an ace fan today. You're Reds, your Pirates, your Marlins. All right. Why do you even bother going to games? You know what's going to ultimately happen. You're going to underachieve.

You're going to be at the deadline, and teams are going to come rid you of your top players. It's terrible. Shane Bieber, by the way, is not as old as I thought. He's only 29. And what's his record this year? 2 and 0. And 2 starts.

Well, it seems like a lot of no. or he's late to the game. Oh, wait, no, he hasn't pitched this year? What? This can't be right. No, you wouldn't, right, Shane Beba? You wouldn't try to guy hadn't started yet. Maybe.

I guess I should know this. Yeah, you are the buster only of local sports. Yeah, I'll give me a minute. All right. That's the news at noon. Thank you, Ross, for being complete and thorough with your investigation of Shane Bieber. Wait, he hadn't pitched this year? No.

No, come on. That's what Google says. Shane Beba hasn't pitched? I guess I should know these things. Shane Beba after we, Shane Bebo, believe it or not, after Mark and humble. Hi, Shane. Or hi, Mark. Hey, guys.

I tried to get on when you had your last segment. Yeah, go ahead. Okay, it irritates the snod out of me. When you're going down the road at night and there's no lights on the side of the road in the middle of the day, you go down there and the lights are burning. What are the, is it operated by some Aggie? Hook them horns. Thank you, Mark. more quality content like that between now and two o'clock today thank you bar for the phone call

that was just an opportunity for him to jab at the eggs yeah Shane Bieber had uh Tommy John it hasn't pitched this year but I guess he's supposed to be coming back wait a minute wait you're gonna make a move like that just to go get a guy who's had a tj tj's fine I think he's supposed to be coming back soon you would hope Google AI says June or July but he hasn't pitched yet and we're about to hit August right okay he had a rehab start recently And he was sharp. Ooh. Maybe the Astros can move

he's like Paredes. He's only going to be back in seven months. That's true. It would be most of the offseason. What's the day, July? We'll get back to Carlos Cray. We'll do that in a second. 1213 Sports Talk 790. Thank you from the Buster Only Sports Desk. If you've listened to that, San Diego getting a

MLS team podcast, let us know. Say how it was. Tell us how it was. We need a review. I need something to listen to on the way home today. I give it a 10 out of 10 actually, man. Did you really? Oh man, it's incredible gripping stuff. I didn't know that. That's good.

Congratulations to San Diego getting an MLS team and the foundation behind it on the IHeart Radio podcast. All right. Bottom of the hour, we're going to tell you about an NBA player that just turned a future television career and a very successful podcast

into a probably going to prison. That's a tease right there, right? I suppose so. All right, so Bob Nightgale reported this morning at 1002. So the Astros trade talks with the twins for shortstop Carl's career all but dead. The Astros paid the, ask the twins to pay 50 million of those remaining 102.5. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50. 50 million of the remaining 102.5. And to include an outfielder. And they said, shut you above that stuff.

Everybody got time for that. Yeah. I think in sports ownership, when you buy 18 and you look to make lots of money, you have to know that you're going to eat a bad contract. I'm going to guarantee you that it devastated the rockets in Tim and Fortita, they had to pay John Wall $40 million to sit. that's a very, very bitter pill to swallow, right, wouldn't you think? Mm-hmm. And there had been, look, the Jose Obrayu released by the Astros, all the money that, is he done finally with the Astros paying or is this the last year of the payment?

I think he's, I think he and Montero Commonwealth books after this year. But my point is that everybody, no team is immune from bad contracts. Certainly not the Astros. Could you imagine? The twins cutting a check to the Astros for $50 million to pay off the rest of that contract? Now, granted, the twins would only have to pay half, but they would get nothing back in return except the Astros, you would presume, prospects. Amazing prospects. And if the Astros don't have amazing prospects, that's why the twins are like, you want us to pay how much?

And you're giving us this a return? that's why if you were going to, if you were the twins and you were going to say you want us to do this so what we want to return probably is Jeremy Payne. It ain't happening. It's just, Cray, things not happening.

I think all the reports that it's pretty much dead are accurate. But my quote, let's go back, let's take two steps back then and while I do agree with you. There was a conversation, there were conversations. Carlos Cray had to all

ultimately tell the twins, yeah, I'll go to Houston. But the twins aren't naive to what the Astros do or do not have. The Astros aren't naive to what Carlos' abilities are and what he's going to do defensively. I don't even know realistically how the conversation even got started unless Jim just said, I like Star Power, I like bringing a guy back, I think there's something left, his best years for as an astro. And if the twins could pick up some of the tab, we feel good about it. Yeah.

Asking for a half. Maybe it was a little ambitious. Yeah. It was Jim. Hey, Dana. I was reading Carl's Correa could be available. Can you go ahead and see what the deal is with that? Dana.

Okay. All right, Jim. I'll see what I can do. Dana calls Minnesota Twins general manager, whoever he is. Yeah, what's going on with Carl's Correa? Oh, yeah. We need to pay $50 million. And you need what?

Oh, we're good. And he wanted an outfielder, too. Yeah, they wanted a bunch of stuff. It's not going to happen. I mean, I'm going to be utterly shocked that this gets anywhere close to happening. I understand what they would explore it. They needed infilled help. They do need infilled help.

They like Carlos Correa. Jim Crane likes Star Power. But when you start getting down to the brass tacks of it, it doesn't make sense. And by the way, I guarantee you. I shouldn't guarantee you because I don't know if everything's guaranteed. Guarantee you, Matt. But I feel very confident that the twins are the ones that told Bob. nightgill what the Astros wanted as part of the deal.

It wouldn't behoove the Astros to say what they said. It would be behoove the twins to say, that's the reason why Carlos Gray, we're not moving him. Look what the Astros want from us. And Bob used to work in Minneapolis, so I'm sure he's got some connections with an twin's organization, yeah. Good for him. I got to know Bob quite well in Minneapolis. He'd come to two, three times in here.

You've got your drinking buddies, right? I think we've had a, we might have had one cocktail together. Sure. Okay. Very, very nice guy. and like I said, probably batting 850 the last two years

after bat about 600 for four or five years when I under his predictions. I don't know. I'm not worried about what he's batting. I just notice he'll take everything he says with a grain of salt.

He's off the mute list. John Heyman's still muted. You can't take Bob off the mute list. He's gotten too many things right lately. He's had a, he's a comeback reporter of the year. But again, if you want to be a comeback reporter,

it means you obviously sucked at one point. Yes. that's why I will never be comeback broadcaster the year I've been able to maintain and sustain excellence well you've got to arrive first that's true 1226 on 790 Alan good morning or good afternoon you're on the Matt Thomas show at Ross

what's on your mind Hello They say what they would explore it they need it until help Hello hello How you doing? I have a question about batting Astros batting Go ahead.

Yeah, I watch this F1 movie, the new one, and the technology around the analysis of race car and all that jazz. Yeah. It's crazy. I wonder if when the Astros bats go quiet and they just don't do anything for a while, do they go in and analyze and look at little tweaky things, or do they just let it play out and trust that the guy's swing is going to come back? They do have the used track.

man, especially for pitching. I don't know how much they do it for batting, but they have bat paths and angles and stuff like that, bat speed. They have a lot of data on on what's going on with guys swings. Yeah, I'm just curious. I watched a documentary about this girl from Africa that's trying to break the four-minute mile for women and the analysis of her shoes and her feet and the way her foot hits a ground. It's crazy what they do to figure out how to get an extra second. And I just wonder when the Astros go quiet,

do they go in and analyze like that? You know, that was my question. Yeah, I don't know exactly what they do, but every major league baseball team does put them in front of videos and I'm guess there's 3D analyizations on it as well yeah bat paths

swing path swing path is analysis a word by the way analyization sounds good sounds kind of made up maybe it's one for one I made up words last this week that's true and analyization

I guess that's a word yeah I'm going to say it is I'm going to go yes I'm correct on that Analyzation. Yeah, that's a word. Yes. It even says less commonly used than analysis, which might be better. Yeah, it's fine. It still worked. Yeah, I've never been into the hitting tent of the Astros or the lab.

But I'm sure they've got something for sure. They're working on stuff. Even though some people say they aren't. Zach Short's not OPSing 900. Fire the hitting coaches. Where's fire the hit of the hit in? hitting coach guy. Nine runs yesterday.

They scored nine yesterday. How's you doing? Nope. But they only score four runs in Boston this weekend. They'll be the fire them coaches out. Okay. All right. How's the trade Yainer Diaz guy doing?

He called a couple days ago. Yeah, I just want to hear from him today. Another long ball for him. That's true. But he's still in third place because Jose L. too is hitting home runs. Jose, I got zero problem with you hitting home runs. But let Yon Air take the lead before you can hit your next home runs. You're looking along.

here. I know. It feels good. It feels good. But I even said at the start of the season, it's going to have to be a lot of underperformances and injuries, and you've gotten both. And what did I tell you? I was fully accept that.

You're getting so lucky. Not lucky because you're lucky. Maybe I knew. Oh, shut up. Maybe I knew about injuries. Yeah. Maybe I did. Yeah.

You knew Yordon, Pena and Pena. Oh, your eye. And that was not a stretch. Sorry. You know, Yordon, Pena, and Paredes. We're all going to get hurt. And then Christian Walker was going to have a down year off of the first year of a three. year deal. You knew all that? That's why you listened 10 to

two. Sports Talk 790. All right. An NBA player throws a poker game and it's getting him in trouble with the law. 1229 on Sports Talk 790. This is Matt and Ross on this Thursday trade deadline edition. Oh, I don't hear the sounder.

Trade deadline edition of the Matt Thomas show at Ross. Four hours, 27 minutes, 35 seconds. There we go. Damn. I'm going to keep this producer. The clock is ticking. He's doing a fantastic job. Getting there. The music's mixed

properly? You know, I've multiple people saying at Talyard Brewing, Carbock Brewing, other places we've been talking about how they love how funny Jonathan is. Well, I want you to understand him a little bit. Yeah, it's good. Once he slowed down talking. I didn't know what's coming to. It's very rude, Matt. It's fine. We just want you to stay to the

calendar year. It may be a record for producers around these parts. I've heard. All right. And it's not because it's really, frankly, it's the pay, not necessarily me or Ross. So Gilbert Arenas has a podcast, as most athletes do. Yeah. And he's been doing some work.

And he was trying to fix his way, mix his way into a new broadcast deal with either NBC or ESPN. Well, that's been to read a little bit, Rossi. He was arrested yesterday and accused by the Department of Justice of being part of a high-stakes illegal gambling ring that ran out of one of one of his California homes. Gilbert Arenas is 43 years of age. Not that it makes any difference, but just giving you for the facts. Facing a federal indictment on account of

conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. According to the Justice Department, Arenas rented out an Encino, California mansion to host illegal

poker games. If convicted, Arenas faces up to five years in prison on each charge. Now, can you serve them concurrently? I guess his attorney's going to ask that. If you follow Arenas on Instagram, which I do not, as soon as he got out of wherever he was temporarily held, he was dancing down a flight of stairs saying, quote, can't hold me, baby, they can't hold me. A caption posted along with a video read, this ain't got blank to do with me. Just rented the house. wasn't a part of the festivities.

So why would you put that out there unless there is completely 100% without a doubt nobody's fault and you weren't involved? According to the Associated Press, Arrinus's attorney said out to the courthouse yesterday that he had not had much time to speak with his client and couldn't comment on the case. Gentleman by the name of Jerome Friedberg said at this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right? he has the same right as any other citizen of that presumption and that's how he should be treated did you see mention some of the details here

prosecutors say the group of people that are being indicted including arenas hired chefs valets and armed security guards to staff the poker games as well as young women who served drinks provided massages and I need some clarification here Matt

and offered companionship to the players in exchange for tips. Like his own speakeasy? What kind of companionship are we talking about, Matt? I'm going to pause this show for three seconds, not say a word. The three of us will not laugh. We'll not breathe.

Okay. I want y'all to think about what kind of companionship was going on at these so-called illegal poker games for three seconds and let you guys presume what you think. One, two, three. And what you presumed is 100% accurate. I believe, and I'm not a judge nor a jury, but I'm the court of public opinion.

Okay, in your court of public opinion. Is that all this happened and that Gilbert Arenas is in some serious trouble. I mean, serious trouble. My guess is the Justice Department didn't do this on a whim. My guess the Justice Department probably had plenty of time to gather their facts. My guess of the Justice Department also probably had men on the inside. and were able to watch this facility, this home in Encino, California, on multiple occasions just to make sure everything was right.

Now, the only question is, did he organize him, or was he just a person at these events? Now, being at these events probably carries some sort of misdemeanor S-type thing, but hosting such events, Yvgeny Gershman, a expected high level of an Israeli organized crime group and four other associates were also indicted and arrested in connection with the alleged illegal business. How many guys total? Six total.

Arinas. This high-level Israeli organized crime guy. Again, I'm on Team Arenas on this. This sounds like it's purely coincidental. Four other associates. Prosecutors say it operated from September of 21 to July of 22. So this has obviously been a while. Again, don't you think?

think the Justice Department would have tried to organize everything? Oh, so they rented his house. It's possible he didn't know about this. If they rented his house and then the associates were staging the poker games? Like an Airbnb? Well, that's the one question is

was Arenas there? If he wasn't. I don't know. Well, you've already convicted him. You tell me. Hmm. Gershman and other defendants ran illegal pot limit Omaha poker games, among other. and collected a cut from each pot contested. That's where it gets illegal as far as poker.

You and I can host a poker game and we can play for millions of dollars. But the second somebody takes a rake or takes money, that's when it becomes illegal. Like an anti. Okay. Like anti-slash rake. Yeah, explain that real quick. Now, I mean. So, okay, let's say you and I are in a poker.

Now, I don't know if it's millions. I could be making that up. Don't listen to me. But if it's hundreds, definitely if it's hundreds or even thousands of dollars, if you distribute. Let's say you, Matt and I play a poker tournament. We each put in 20 bucks. and you win first place,

you get winner take all, you get $60. If I as the house, take even $1 off of that, say, hey, guys, I'm hosting the game, just give me a little rid of rake, I'm taking $5 out of the pot. Then I have raked to the pot, and then that's when it becomes illegal. If we're all playing friends,

for example, if you play Super Bowl squares and it's $10 a square and you're trying to win in the office pool, that's legal as long as all the money goes back out. This is my understanding, by the way. No, no, no. Right. But if the person who organized and say, hey guys, you know, for my troubles,

I'm taking 20 bucks. Then it becomes illegal. That crosses the threshold of the legal. So if you come to my house and we play, if three of us are playing or we have six of us and we split the morning that we put in a friendly poker game, you can't go after us.

But if I'm trying to make money off your poker game as a hosting fee or something, that's where the illegal gambling takes place. Or just a general rig. That's how casino is So let's say Matt and I play at the casino poker table. He bets $20. I bet I call $20 and it's a $40 pot.

They take generally it's a cap up to like $5. They take $5. That's how casinos make money. They're making $5 a hand plus dealer tips. All right. So here's what the prosecutors are saying that arenas, when asked about this, lied to them. Here's the quote from the defendant accusations. Arenas knew and knowingly provided gambling equipment at the Gable House to be used to host an illegal poker game on July of 2022.

Prosecutors say he had knowingly rented out the Gable House to be used to host the illegal poker event. He was collecting rent from the host for operating an illegal poker game at the Gable House. This is what the indictment says. So maybe he wasn't even at these games, but he was just renting them and knowing what they were doing. Yeah. Well, clearly, yeah, he provided false statements. I mean, that's going to be, that would probably be a small charge. I'd imagine.

Well, federal indictment, I don't know. I'm not a lawyer anymore. So can I ask you a stupid question? Let's go. Again, pardon my ignorance on this. What if I do want to have a, I mean, what if I do want to make a little bit of money? What if I'm hosting this event and I'm buying the equipment and doing,

I mean, I guess things are just illegal in life. There are workarounds, for example, poker rooms here in Houston. rather than raking the pot, they charge you an entrance fee and then they charge you a seat fee. It's $10 an hour or $15. But they report that as income and they report it. So basically, I guess the law would be you can't have illegal, you can't hold gambling activities in your home,

is what I guess is the number one violation here. Right? Yes. Well, because the licensing, gaming and licensing commissions are going to want their cut. Right. They want you to be a legal poker house. Yes.

And these poker houses that are around town are going to have to report whatever they're making from you to go give it to the government. A lot of them got rated. I think some of them even got rated recently. Somebody was done. They're always getting rated.

I wouldn't, let me tell you. I don't know poker houses very well. I wouldn't trust them. They still scare me to death. Yeah, save your money. But yeah. Kilbert Arenas, I mean, Now, again, it doesn't help the clientele he's hanging out with, right?

Well, I don't know. These guys, how do they know each other? How does one get approached by an Israeli gangster to rent your house? I don't know. Israeli gangster. Sounds fishy. I mean, that would take levels of me trying to find this dude. Yeah, but we're not in the same circles as Gilbert Arenas is.

That's what I'm saying, though. I mean, that's why I kind of believe it, Ross. These are circles that these multi-millionaires hang out with. Yeah, I mean, I could believe he was renting them in their house and didn't think it was a big deal. So Gilbert probably is going to lose his career over this. And perhaps face jail time. I hope he's doing okay with money. He's made over like $150 million in his career.

Yeah, that I don't. Wasn't he, didn't he bring the gun on the plane? Was that the right place? It was in the clubhouse, the locker room with Javar's critton in that whole situation. That probably doesn't help his character. He's like, pick which one you want to get shot by, I think. Was that him? He did that? He put three guns on the chair and said, which one do you want to get shot? And then you got Marcus Morris writing bad checks.

And that was over like a Burey game or something like that, wasn't it? With Crittenden and Arenas? Yes. Because Buhre is very popular among the NBA players. I just don't get it. They have so much money. Well, then that you make you get it. They just don't care.

They're just like to gamble. Flash money around, and sometimes you don't pay your debt. He's saying I don't get that they would be involved in illegal activities. I mean, if the guy's saying, hey, can we rent your house for her and he's charging you, he's going to pay you some kind of crazy amount of money. I want to hear more about these women. I know you do. I want to hear more about who is playing in these games.

You can go. Well, I guess if you're in California. Oh, we'll find out. But my thought would be they'll be just really rich people and they will not be people that will be recognizable to us. I mean, who do Iranian gang? Is it Iranian you said? Israeli.

Israeli gangsters hang out with. I'm not answering that. Yeah, you probably shouldn't. 1245 on the Matt Thomas show at Ross. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-5-7-90. The trade deadline clock, four hours, 15 minutes, and 33 seconds. 415-33.

Will the Astros do something more than getting another utility player who probably will be playing third base for the stroas the rest of this season? And are we scared about the Mariners getting Eugenio Suarez to give them a additional pop. These are things we'll get to between now and two o'clock Ross. What is today's edition of believe it or not? Poker houses. 1246 on Sports Talk 790. Mark Fein-Sand. We've had him on before, right, Rossi? MLB Network, I think so, yeah. He put out a tweet 12 minutes ago that says the following. The Astros continue to monitor the starting

pitching market, Dylan Sees and Sandy Alcantara included. The sources say Houston is currently more focused at upgrading the back end of the bullpen with some of the top controllable relievers potentially in play for the Astros. That sounds about right. I.e., we need a right-handed arm. You can't continue to throw a Brayu out there as much as you have. And look, Abraeu's not workload has been less this year, but it's been active the last handful of days.

They want a bins, but they're on a Hyundai budget. I get it. And I know that some people are going to say they don't have to be. but when the boss says we're going to keep it at a certain level we're going to keep at a certain level especially when some guys are coming back they are I think Jim would be willing

to go into the tax for like a Dylan cease or something like that but I think anything less than that it's well now they took on Urias is making 3 million this year so he's a year left is any

is any deal going to get them over into the taxer a second time but it'll be small it's a bigger picture penalty. I think you do it for Dillon C's. Absolutely. I think Jim Crane would do it for Dylan Cus. I think the Carlos Correa would really make things a very, not awkward, but there'd be a lot of work done for Dana in the off season more than he'd probably be prepared for.

What else is he doing? He's fine. That's his job. It's his job to build the team. But you'd be parting ways with somebody that we'd be very recognizable. I don't think you can trade parades, especially with the, a hamstring off the bone. Might have some value.

I think you could find something. Somebody would take him. It's just a matter of what you're getting back. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know. Does it is a hamstring off the bone? Is that a career ender? It feels like a guy that was...

He was only like 26. But he wasn't fleet of foot to begin with in terms of range. No, he wasn't, but, you know... He held his own here defensively. I don't think anybody could possibly argue about his work defensively at third base, especially after what we thought we had heard in spring training. He was going to... He was good.

He didn't have great range, but anything hit to him. He got quick hands, good on transfers, good accurate arm. I mean, this team defensively is really, really good. It just is. It may not be like 2017 good, but it's still, I don't know what the metrics would say, but I would, my characterize him as a top seven or eight top defense in baseball to me, feels like in terms of not giving a lot of games away. Base running still is an issue at times, namely our greatest astro of all time,

but that's a different issue for a different time. you'd figure the greatest of all time could run the basis 15 years in yeah but nobody's perfect let's see how do you feel about DRS Matt DRS DRS defensive run saved

Oh yeah boom Wow you're so smart let's go let's go They have the Astros at 21st in DRS The Fielding Bible our good friends at Fielding Bible They are friends of ours Sure why not Okay I don't know I look at the Astros defense

and I go, man, there are very few times over the course of the season they've given up games. And especially if you're talking about maybe the numbers not being as good, it's because what kind of lineup have the Astros been putting out there? They've had two third basemen. They've had two short stops. They've had three second baseman. Left field's been a hot mess all season long. Now, you've had Christian Walker basically and Victor Keratini operating at first base, but it's mostly

Christian Walker. Your center field's been two different positions. your catcher's been reliably the same for the most part with Yarnier-D-D-S. I mean, for as much as this lineup has moved up and down, I still think it's been a very good defense for this team this year. Biggest negatives they have is actually first left pitcher and catcher. They think Christian Walker's a negative after three straight goal gloves?

I guess so. I ain't buying it. I ain't buying it. That's what the nerds get in the way. No, nerds watch the damn game once in a while. The nerds there's tracking debt on everything. Yeah, I can track something. I'm not...

I'm trusting the nerds over you. I'm not... It's the Matt Thomas show with Ross. 57 minutes. 22 seconds. That's all we have left in this year's trade deadline. There's a sounder. John Morosi.

How do we feel about John Morosi? Sports Harvey? Very hit or miss. You can keep playing the sound. It's a little ambience to it. The Astros are one team to watch. Stephen Kwan. Man.

Houston has had three different starting left-fielder in the last three games, Mr. Morosi says. He goofed up one time really bad. We would try to get a whole of him, and he didn't answer our phones. Where does Jose Al-Tuvae play? If they get Stephen Kwan. Are they going to try to put him in center?

Who? Quon. Altuva. I was going to say, are you saying hold up, no. Does he have a history of, but he's at his best in left? That's where he's got a three-time gold glover in left. Oh, the clock's over. The clock's over. That's all right.

Let me give you another hot take. You ready for this? Oh, baby. Sizzle it up. Stephen Kwan comes here. That must mean that Yordon Alvarez is not really coming back anytime soon. That's what I would think. Because you could, you could hide Al-Tubei as a DH. Stephen Kwan has played one game in center this year. How about his entire life?

One game in center. This year. I found more. Seven more. Okay. Seven in 2022. Oh, man. That's weird.

Do you move him to center field just to reinvent him in the middle of a pennant race? I don't know if you do that. You could, and if you wanted to say Stephen Kwan, we wouldn't you come back in center field or next year. Now, maybe this is going to happen, but I, uh, Again, this is this is agents. This is John Marosi calling an agent. Who's calling on your client?

Oh, this team, this team, this team, this team. A three-time gold Glover, OPS is 758 this year. Last year, 793, great contact hitter, good guy to pass the baton in the lineup, under team control for two. Look, I want Stephen Kwan here. I just like, are the Astros going to get in on this? Really? That'd be great. I'm going to read the quote again.

Okay. This came 34 minutes ago. The Astros are one team to watch on Stephen Kwan. Houston's had three starting left fielders in the last three games. Well, I mean, that's no breaking news on that. Things aren't. Hearing names, again, is just fodder for us. I understand that.

but hearing these names, Ross, make me think that the the cavalry ain't coming as fast as maybe we want them to come back. Oh, John Paul Morosi was the one that said like the Blue Jays were in on Otani

or that he was going to Toronto. Yes, I didn't know something bad. He wasn't in Toronto at all. And didn't want to admit that he goofed up. Yeah, it took him a while. Here we go, December 2, 2020, 23. John Marosi

apologizes for reporting inaccurate information about Shohei Otani flying to Toronto. Yeah. Okay, so let's do this. We've done this with Correa already today. We've done this with CISC. Let's say Kwan all of a sudden is now a Houston Astro. Maybe and maybe this could be in Ross, let's be honest on this. Maybe this is a little bit of, hey, we're the Astros. We don't have much. Let's float some names out there to at least show our audience, our fan base that we're trying to get some people, right? You could do that too. There's all sorts of ways and manipulate the media.

Oh man, you know how bad it was for Morosi? He immediately got refuted by John Heyman and Bob Nightingale. Ooh, if Bob Nightgale is refuting you, that means it's really bad. You're getting dunked on by John Heyman and Bob Nightingale? Things are not going your way. All right. So if Kwan comes here, who's your center fielder? And Stephen Kwan.

Where's El Tube going to play? Altube, you know what is... You got your Rias. Let me tell you what Al-Tube is going to do. Altouva is going to go back to... second base. Is he going to DH the whole time? And you're going to play him DH probably 60 or 70% of the time. Give Bryce

Matthews 30%. Well then that means Yordon's not coming back? I just don't. Man, this could happen and I can, if I get it on my face, that's fine, but I just don't see it. I just don't. It doesn't make any sense. It is weird that you've got so many different names that are being

discussed that just don't make that automatic, oh, that's a puzzle piece that fits. The Correa situation, yeah, you get, like the Aria deal today with Baltimore makes perfect sense. Absolutely. Low-end deal with a guy that's... Utility guy.

Utility guy. Got a year control. It doesn't make a whole lot of money. That kind of mid-level deal makes perfect sense. Going to get Kray and asking for the twins to pay $50 million of the contract and giving you an outfielder and potentially setting up a situation where you may have to move somebody that you don't want to move, i.e. Jeremy Payne. If you're going to move Carlos Kray and keep him in the infield.

That doesn't make a lot of sense. Gold glove, lefty, left fielder. If it ain't broke, you don't fix that. You have to keep him in left field. Jose? No, I'm talking about Kwan. He's been an all start of the last two years. He's under team control for two more years.

You've got one top 100 prospect, and that dude is basically Dana Brown's baby because it was his first draft bit. Yeah, just a lot of confusion here to me. It's a lot of I just don't get it. But again, and an unreliable source. Well, that's right. But maybe one of these drops and that Dana will say, here's what we're thinking.

And then you can go, okay, now that makes sense. But all these dudes right now are putting stuff on their Twitter, hoping that something clicks. And they're getting clicks and likes. They're getting us mentioning them. And my guess is the agent game is strong where either the team is saying, hey, put this name out to see what we can get. Or the agent saying, hey, my client is being talked about here, here, here. Doesn't mean it's a probability. No, doesn't mean it's a possibility.

Doesn't mean the name was thrown up against the wall to see if it stuck? Absolutely. Okay. We'll see. We'll know in under four hours. If they don't make another move in the next three hours, 50 minutes and 14 seconds, I would not be stunned. Because that would give me two things. One, the Astros don't have enough to really trade, right?

Or two, they do believe the guys that are on the injilis that are working in Sugar Land and corporate scrutiny are on the cost of coming back. Right? But like I said, the Aureas deal, and that's it, is kind of the favorite as to what they're going to do. Now, Brian McTagher, you'll hear in about 20 minutes, thinks something that could happen here in the next 349. 713-212-5-790.

7-13-212-5-790. The University of Houston Ross has a survey out about what Harris County residents want. and they want more sports and they want more entertainment. We'll discuss the numbers next. 112 on Sports Talk 790. The Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston

created a little poll, a little survey. They took 2,300 people, Rossi, and they asked them questions about the sports scene in Houston. And I want to go through these very quickly because we've got a call to get two plus we got Brian McTagger really quick on a few things some of these are kind of duh and some of these are oh okay this this is according to the hobby school of public affairs three out of four people are enthusiastic about the

World Cup coming to Houston that feels about right nothing crazy on that I mean I can't believe many of it would say oh that sucks like I don't like soccer but I'm not like oh that's a terrible idea for them to come here it seems like a win win on that one right Tickets are really expensive. Yeah. A majority of registered voters surveyed by the University of Houston's Hobby School Public Affairs say they support using public money for renovations to NRG Stadium. Okay.

81% of the voters have a favorable opinion of the rodeo. 73% have a favorable opinion about the Texans. 26% say you're not using any of our tax money. 26% of those people also say, say we will help pay between 21 and 40% of the cost. 25% say we'll pay up to 20%. So it varies about how much public money we're putting into this. 62% support a public-private partnership to convert the Astrodome into an entertainment venue.

Oh, my God, that'd be a tremendous waste of money. Let's see here. Other findings in this 68% are enthusiastic about the possibility of a theme park coming to town. 61% so they would visit the theme park at least once a year. Yeah, you can say that. That's right. Are you going to go though? You suck.

I'm sorry. This is a terrible survey. I apologize for bringing this up. What a waste of time. We have a great school. We waste our time on this thing. And that's definitely a way. Oh, yeah, I think I'll go.

You know what? Let's see how much of cost. It's too expensive. Forget what I said. Stop sending me releases, U of H. It's bad. You embarrass ourselves on our campus. I'm not bitter, though.

Seems like you might be. Well, yeah, I mean, that was a waste of time. I thought it would be something intriguing. Okay. Did you get the same email? No, I'm seeing, yeah, the poll, 62% would support Harris County money to renovate the Astrodome?

Yeah. I don't believe that to be accurate at all. I believe 62% of us once had destroyed. I don't know. Maybe we're in the minority, man. People are nostalgic. We talked about this. Well, then why has it sat there for 30 years? I don't know.

I think it's this poll is bupkis. I think they were calling people until they got the answer they wanted to hear. You'd be embarrassed. Charles and Victoria at 120. Hi, Charles. Hey, man, and Ross. Love the show. Thank you.

Listen all the time. I don't call in quite often, but I follow you guys on X, listen to the show. I'd have to say about the whole Stephen Kwan thing. I would think if that is the play they go for, they probably have Ramon Urius probably at third base 90% of the time and have Jose at second and then fit Stephen Kwan out in left field, if that's the way they probably end up going. I mean, I want this team to make a long run.

Would love to see them make another long run in the playoffs. Really enjoy Astros baseball. But I think today for this trade deadline, I think they have to address some type of pitching, whether it's starting or relief, and then get themselves another bat. Preferably, another left-handed bat to help. hopefully Yordon is, you know, 90 to 100% hopefully, hopefully, you know, going towards the playoffs whenever he does come back.

I appreciate your optimism, Charles. That's very nice you to say that. Damn, Charles, we've been talking about this 90 to 100% for a long time. To me, if he shows up, it's going to be a nice addition. But, man, I'm not holding my breath. But maybe, you know, maybe you carry the optimism for both of us. You may have to. I agree.

I agree. But hey, we'll see what it happens. It's going to be fun. And we've got a few hours left. Let's see what happens. But I think they do need to upgrade just a little bit here at the deadline to, you know, pretty much win the West and put this to a close the last two months of the season. But I really do feel with what Seattle did. You know, I think us getting healthy and everything, you know, we're going to be able to, we're going to be able to have.

a nice run towards the end of the season and you know probably win the AL West try to go far in the playoffs but I think we need to upgrade just a little bit here at the deadline we'll see what happens but thank you for taking my phone call you guys have a great day Charles never be a stranger this show your kind words are very much appreciated let's go to Donald at 122 hi Donald

Hey how you doing fellas good how are you Good, listen to me. I'm not joking under my administration, there will be zero players on the injured list, okay? Now, let me tell you something one more. Just trade deadline. Nobody makes better deals than me. We are going to get everybody. The AOF is a joke compared to the Astros dominance with my leadership.

Thank you. Three out of ten. One point five. took me a minute to realize what he was doing I thought Brian McTaggart's Donald was bad This is way better mad Who is the worst Donald in Houston? Probably me

Do what I mean? Clans is not bad Clans is solid It's like a good six Go ahead, let me hear here No, I'm not going to do it I can't even do it I can't even talk about making the deals

That we're trying to make it the trade deadline That was better than that last dude's Oh, thank you I don't work on it It's very difficult voice to do. I don't think so. I think it's... Well, it's here.

No, no, no. Difficult. I don't want to do because I want to embarrass myself. You said it's not difficult. It's not difficult to be the best president of the major leagues. That's not bad. That's probably better than mine. I can't believe I'm doing this on a live radio show.

This show, this Ross Fudel Rieh show, one of my favorite shows. I've been listening for the longest time since... You're losing the thread. See. I have no steam. That's the hardest part of doing any sort of impression is keeping it going. I've created. Okay.

I'm done. I'm done. I'm done. We're embarrassing ourselves. We are embarrassing ourselves. But we're better than that guy. Yeah, that guy sucked. Hi, Gio.

Hey, guys, for the love of God, don't ever try to do a Trump impersonation again, please. That was, it was, it was Jill. I want to say, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. It was bad on my part. All right, man. Other than that, great show, great show, as always. But I just want to give my two cents on the trade deadline, man.

I don't think the Astros are going to do much more. Wily, because I think we don't have a lot to bargain with. I'm not saying they're not trying to make moves, but, I mean, there's so much that we can do with what little that we have. So I think they got the third basement out of the Orioles just to put a Band-Aid off of what happened to Eastside Paratus. I think they're just banking on the guys coming off to IR, coming back to the injury, and just plugging them in and hoping everything goes good.

So go assholes. I hope we can make a move. I hope we can make a nice run, but that's my little two cents on it, man. Great show, guys. Thank you, Gio. It's always with a nickel to us, my friend. Coming back, Brian McTaggart on what he thinks could happen in the next three hours and 35 minutes. It's 125.

It's a Matt Thomas show with Ross. Ross, what is today's edition of Believe it or not? Hell if I know. It could be a really good one. Oh, no. I can't stop. 125 on 790. 130 on Sports Talk 790.

Matt and Ross with you. We had a chance to catch up with Brian McTaggart earlier today. Always a good conversation. If you missed it, well, shame on you. But we give you a chance to catch the conversation right now. We flat out asked him to start the visit today. What does he expect to see in terms of roster maneuvering besides the Arias trade with the Astros when he sees the Red Sox and Astros play tomorrow in Boston? Yeah, that's a good question. I think so. I don't, if they can get there in time, you know, I certainly think the Astros, well, I know they're working on some other things here today. And I'd be surprised if they don't get something done. Obviously, they still want to get a starting pitcher. I don't think they're done looking for offensive upgrades. So Urias trade is just part of it, but this is by no means. They're big move. I think that's still to come if they can pull it off.

Let's go to Arias for a second. It feels like to me, maybe I'm wrong, is he just in theory perhaps better Maricio DuBahn, or are they one of the same at this point? Yeah, I mean, it looks like they're a little interchangeable. I mean, to me, Dubon's is more valuable because he can play the outfield. Urius is more of an infielder. I mean, he played almost exclusively third base this year.

So, yeah, I think it just gives them somebody they can put it third, see what else they can do. We know what are the kind of bats they can get. But if they're not able to pull off something, at least they have somebody they can put it third that plays a goal off third base, can handle the bat a little bit. That's, you know, an upgrade over, you know, Zach Short and Shay Whitcomb and some of the guys have been playing here

in the last couple of weeks. But I guess, you know, is there a chance? Maybe they move to Dubon somewhere. I know they don't want to trade off the Major League roster. but he just does so many things. I just don't know if that would be a good move for them. All right. Let's get to another infielder have been talked about.

Carlos Correa spoke yesterday in Minneapolis. The rumors have not died completely, although the Urius move probably slows it down a little bit. It feels like to me, and we were talking about this last hour, that there's been consistencies in Jim Crane's ownership since the team has been relevant. One, he's not going to give you super lengthy long contracts. he will give you fair market value, but it will not be for the 8-9 mega deal.

And number two is if there is a star player that he has his eye set on and he really wants him, he's going to tell his general manager, whomever it is to go get it. Whether it's Verlander, not once but twice, whether it is Zach Rankie, whether it is going to get Josh Hater in free agency. And in this particular case, this feels Jim Crane driven. So let me ask you, why do you think if you were able to get into the head of the owner of this baseball team, why Carlos is so appealing, especially because there is so much money attached to the remainder of his contract. Yeah, I mean, first of all, I think the twins would have to eat a significant amount of the remainder of their contract.

I mean, that teams for sale. I think that they're obviously trying to shed some payroll here. You know, how much of the remaining three years would they be willing to eat? Cray's also a businessman, and he knows that getting Cray in here is going to provide a boost. It's going to provide a spark. I remember when they both times they traded for Verlander, especially the first time, it was like, wow, you know, Verlanders here are Verlanders back and, you know, provided a spark. That being said, a lot of times these reunions don't work out very well. You know, Coray is, you know, not the player he was.

Still a good player. I think he could be a really good third baseman. I think it would be a popular move in the clubhouse, certainly with a guy like Jose Altuve and, you know, if he's on board, then everyone else is going to get on board. I mean, he would be a player that could help them. but it's weird because I still think their biggest need is a left-handed bat. And, you know, you are going to get Paretas back probably next year. Then you have Correa, Urius, a little bit of a log jam there. So I see why they'd want to do it.

I'm not sure it's the best fit at this point. Willie Castro, you know, left-handed hitting infielder who, you know, can move around a little bit for the twins and doesn't make all that money, makes a lot more sense. So but Astros are probably got a lot of fires, a lot of irons in the fire, you know, looking at a lot of different things. And that's just one of them. And with the irons in the fire, and we've talked about this farm system for the Astros,

just the deals you've been kind of seeing around baseball and kind of relating that to what the Astros have to give up, where do you think that puts the Astros as far as getting in possible bidding wars? Yeah, well, they're probably a little bit. They're going after, you know, some of these guys that a lot of teams are after. I mean, we just, you know, the trade went down with the Padres and A's and, you know, A's or sent him, Padres are sent them one of the best prospects in baseball to the A's. You know, probably a better prospect than the Astros have. So that's going to make it a little bit more difficult.

But they do have prospects to get deals done. You know, they don't want to trade off the Major League roster, but guys like Jacob Melton and Shay Whitcomb and, you know, Chas McCormick could probably use a change of scenery at this point. Not that he's not that he's going to help you get a deal done, but he could be part of a deal. But it's going to come down to prospect capital, what they have to offer. You know, they do have a lot of arms and upper levels of their prospect rankings that I'm sure some other teams would like to get their hands on. So that's part of it. It probably, you know, obviously in a disadvantageous spot than a lot of other teams just because they just don't have the overall, the quality of upper level prospects that a lot of other teams do, including the Mariners who are, you know, pulled off the Suarez trade.

and I don't think they give up one of their top 10 prospects. So that was a big coup for them. Brian McTaggart with us here on Sports Talk 790, and that was going to be my next question. How much more urgency do you think there is from Dana Brown with what the Mariners are doing? Yeah, I mean, I think Dana had urgency anyway. I think, you know, he knows that with all the injuries and, you know,

Alvarez, I don't think you can really count on, you know, when he's going to come back, if at all this year. Paredes looks like he's out. There's urgency there to add a left-handed bat. You know, the team that's behind you in the standings has gone out and added Josh Naylor and now Suarez. They already have put them in a lineup with J.P. Crawford, Cal Rally. That is a pretty deep top of the lineup. They already have a really good rotation.

So they're five games behind the Astros, but right now their roster is better and significantly better and healthier. So, yeah, Dana's aware of that. And that's why I think they're not done. They got to make a move or two for a starting pitcher and another bat. So help me on. Maybe you don't have a contact in San Diego, but just the general baseball. So the Padres go to get Mason Miller, but Dylan Cease remains out there. Why are they moving from Seas?

Well, he's a free agent at the end of the year. They'll get something for him. He's making $14 million. So it's sort of a matter of let's get something while we can. And we'll replace them with a thing here. He's under control for a few more years. So sort of just kicking the can down the road a little bit with a starting pitcher. But CIS is a guy that a lot of teams are going to want.

So they're probably going to be able to get, you know, a couple of prospects for him. And otherwise they would lose them, you know, at the end of the year of free agency likely. So the fact that he went out and got Mason Miller, you know, a reliever and got J.P. Sears a starter. That makes CIS a little bit more expendable now just because he is a free agent. He's making a lot of money. And so they'll give him some payroll flexibility. here for the rest of the year. All right.

If it's not cease, and clearly they are still looking for something in terms of pitching, does that give you the sign one way or the other that they're not completely sure the guys that are on the farm and these rehab guys can come back and help? Are they worried about using Ryan Gusto the rest of the years? Maybe a back-in guy. Are they worried about keeping McCullors?

Why would? And maybe there's this age-old thought of in baseball, and we had to Jim Bowdoin on last week that backed it up. You can't have enough starting pitching. So maybe that's just a simplistic answer. But is there a party that says if they're kicking the tires on Dylan's cease, that maybe they're not sure that what they have, even when the guys come back, and I'm including Erigating the mix, are going to be guys that can go deep into ball games

and they can help you win a September pennant race? Yeah, I think there's no doubt. You know, Eric Getty was a rookie last year who had a really good second half what made two starts this year. It looks still very much out on him. They're still way better off with him in the rotation over some of the other guys they have. But Luis Garcia hasn't pitched in two years. Javier hasn't pitched in more than a year.

J.P. France hasn't pitched since early last year when his shoulder was falling off. Those three guys specifically, and even Harrogati, yeah, you don't know what you're going to get. Dylan Cesar is a guy who makes 33 starts every single year. And granted, the Astros get him. They're going to need him to make 10 or 11 starts, but he's going to do that. He hasn't had a great year, but I mean, he was a top five Sye young finisher last year. And if you can maybe tweak him a little bit like they did with Kikuchi, put him behind Hunter Brown and Franber Valdez,

Dylan Sees, those one, two, three in a playoff series. That stacks up with anybody, including the Mariners. And I think they just want a third guy who is a horse that they know in the playoffs. They can trot out there and match up with other teams. I mean, last year they had Kikuchi, and I guess he was going to start game three of the Wild Card Series. They never got there. So obviously the goal is to get the first or second seed. And so you don't have to play in that wildcard series.

And they can stack up their pitching as they want for the division series. Come more minutes with Brian McTaggart with us here on 790. Are Jacob Melton and Bryce Matthews untouchable, in your opinion? I don't think Jacob Milton is. I would say Bryce Matthews is just because the way they talk about him so highly. He's also Dana Brown's first draft pick. I think it would be hard for Dana to let go at him at this point. I mean, he came up and had, you know, a couple of good games in Arizona.

But overall, it's been a little overmatched at times, you know, offensively and defensively. So I guess it just depends, you know, what's your price? But it would surprise me, I guess, if they traded Bryce Matthews, would not surprise me if they traded Jacob Milton at this point. All right. Well, this interview has to go in the natural direction. Trade deadline interviews go. Brian, Crystal Bowl time. What do you think happens between now and the deadline at 5 p.m.? I do think they'll get a starting pitcher. I know as of last night, CIS was their main target

and things were progressing maybe a little bit towards something getting done. So I'm going to stick with that they do land Dylan Cese. And I'm a little bit less clear on a bat. There's probably a lot of options. But I do think they'll also land a left-handed bat. And so, you know, how big of an impact player that will be remains to be seen but i think it's safe to say when we get to boston tomorrow there's going to be a handful of new faces probably including jeremy panya and three or four guys who took the flight to boston are going to be flying elsewhere so uh it's uh you know what we got about six hours to go a little less than six hours so it's going to be very interesting no no no brian we've got three hours and 19 minutes and 20 seconds left from the trade deadline clock

it's going to happen during the 18 it's going to piss me off They don't deserve it. They hardly worked yesterday. They're going to get an Astros tray that's going to really mean something. We got Urius Ross. We got that at midnight last night. We didn't even get that during our show today. You know what?

Dan, if you're listening, do something in the next eight minutes. Give us a chance to chew on it before the show. Because I don't want it to have it during the 18. They don't deserve it. And you have fans don't deserve it either. You don't need fresh material for those boys. All right, let's play, believe it or not, he's up next. It's all things about Gilbert Arenas.

He's in trouble because he likes to host allegedly illegal poker games. It is Encino House. All things about Gilbert Arenais is up next. The trade deadline clock is still going. Three hours, 18 minutes, and 34 seconds. If you want to play, believe or not, we're playing for big three tickets, which are going to be this Saturday inside TOTA Center. If you want to go check out that league, ToyotaCenter.com.

we can win the tickets up next. 713-212-5-790. 7-1-3-21-5-7-90 to play, believe it or not, Gilbert-Gilbert Arenas. And it's straight ahead here on Sports Talk 790. Apparently my co-host is getting ready for a 5K here coming up. He's been getting his shins working out and loosen up. I don't know, man. Don't get old, bro.

I don't know what's going. Maybe I do need to go to the doctor. My left leg is malfunctioning. You know, honestly, what I do, and I don't mean to peel the curtain bag too much. I get a lot of my medical stuff, my 50 plus life stuff done during the Rockets off season

because once my rocket season goes, I'm blowing and going. I don't have time to get all that stuff done. So I'm like, blowing and going. So you blow and go all rocket season. During the season, I'm busy. Blowing and going.

I don't see what you're trying to do. You said it. Yeah, you like to blow and glow. I don't glow anything. I go places. Although Yankees got the Pirates closer. That's great. Yeah.

He's got an ERA of like two. Three hours, 12 minutes, 22 seconds. Something will fall in their laps. We already know it. On the 18? Oh, yeah. God bless it. Sucks.

2.37. Ooh. ERA plus 154. 17 saves. He's got 17 saves on the Pirates. That's like having 50 anywhere else. He's like the goose gossip. Mariano Rivera

I'm looking at it right now We got a nasty slider Ooh Big bender It's not good Ross does like a big bender And once in a while Yankees got one

Try to get me back Because you like to blow and go Mm-mm You said it, not me Oh it says The Yankees are close to require I saw a done deal I thought From passing

Who knows Maybe MLB doesn't want to give credit To the opposing network Let me I mean I can hold on Doesn't MLB network Shouldn't it get every trade right Since the league owns the channel

Right? Oh that's well okay Jeff Passon says Finalizing a deal So what is that? I mean that means pretty much done deal right Anytime you see the New York Yankees Are finalizing a deal basically means it

Yeah yeah yeah yeah All right Tomorrow on the radio show We will run through all the new Astro players They have You don't work on Dill and C's Believe it or not What do you think?

Nope. Willie, what's the game, Willie from the twins? Willie Fritz? Well, no, that's the Cougar coach. Billy Castro. Willie Castro, W-I-L-L-I. Mm-hmm. You know what you can do?

You can have, believe it or not, done. I'm good. Before the show even starts tomorrow. Nah. Be a little advanced prep. No. I'm good. All right.

We have non-flor-stories tomorrow. We have trade reactions. We have trade reactions. We're non-trade reactions. It might be time for A-O's. Oh. No, no, no, we're not crushing. You and I've already said it.

This is what they've done already, already satisfies the need. I know I said that. But you were worried about the Seattle Marriers. I know. I know. I know. The Mariners and Yankees are making moves.

Blue Jays are making moves. And it's like everybody, it's like everybody's getting picked off the basketball court, and I'm just sitting there all alone. You were the last one picked. That never happened to me because I was tall. But then they regretted picking me. They're like, oh, man, this guy's tall, but he stinks.

No, I would have told you shit up, get off my team. We're switching. No, I got a little, hold on, I got a little game. New team, new team happens. Lefty hooks. I got some good bounce passes. But his hammies aren't 100%. You need to hydrate. No, when I was 20. Do you hydrate?

Yes. Well, with coffee. Exactly. So this is all right. Everybody listening. You got to have water intake before, so your muscles can heal correctly. Ross is over here drinking caffeine, which is the number one thing. Oh, I got to wake up for the show. You try to host with Matt not be on as much caffeine as possible. I'm worried about your health. See, Matt's taken care of. Yeah, hashtag drink more water. Five minutes left to go on the show. What should we do? We should play America's fastest growing sports radio game.

Shall we simply call it B? Believe it or not, and here's how it works. You call 713212-579. 7-1-3-212-5-790. Today's edition of Believe it or not is All Things About Gilbert Arenas. I'll read your statement about Gilbert. Statement completely and utterly accurate. You'll say this. If the statement's erroneous photo bunk a minute up, you'll say this. Not.

To believe it or not, in a row, win your prize, you will winning a pair of tickets to the big three this Saturday, August 2nd at TOTA Center. You'll see competitive three-on-three basketball games along with halftime performances from top musical artist. You can cheer on Houston's rig hands team, coached by Rocket, great Calvin Murphy, as they make their debut that night. Tickets on sale for the Saturday event at TOTA center.com. That's TOTA center.com. Sheldon on 790. Sheldon, you're ready to play, believe it or not? Yep.

Sheldon, good luck to you. Gilbert Arinas was drafted sixth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2001 NBA draft. Believe it or not? Hello? Yeah, 31st Buller Warriors. Quick answers. Yeah, come on now. Statement number two for the win.

Gilbert Arenais is the 89th all-time NBA score behind Lenny Wilkins and ahead of Rudy Gay. Believe it or not? Believe it? No. I heard believe it first. Sorry, you're out. Not even in the top 250. 713.

212-5-790. Trey on 7-90 Trey. What was your favorite part of today's 10-2 radio show? What did you learn this weekend? What did you learn this weekend? That's another show, I think. Oh, that's right. Sorry about that.

Trey, I want you to lose and lose badly. Okay. I will take great joy in that. In 2018, a Bleacher Report article said the Gilbert Arenas detailed how he always blows red lights, goes through red lights, and gets away with it by using dealer plates. Believe it or not? Not. That's a believe it.

Bye, sucker. See you later. 7-13-213-2-5-7-90. Jason on 7-0, ready to play, believe it or not? Yes, sir. In 2008, Gilbert Arenas released a hip-hop mixtape under the moniker Agent Zero. Believe it or not? Believe it.

No, Ross made that one. I'm sorry. That was the good one. Javier on 790, Javier, what was your favorite part of today's 10-2 radio show? Everything. The whole show is my favorite part. Thank you very much. Kirby Rinas is an advocate for animal rights, even posing shirtless for Pita's Inc. Not Mink campaign.

Believe it or not? Not to believe it. He loves animal rights. Sorry. Alfred Howell. to you, Alfred? 41. Okay, nice to have you on the show.

Gilbert Arenas has a son, Elijah, is a five-star basketball recruit currently committed to USC. Believe it or not? Believe it. That's right. The reason why I ask his age, Alfred's done a very common name

among younger people, so good for you. Statement number two for the win. Oh, you're the fourth. That makes a lot of sense. In 2013, Gilbert Arinas was arrested by the LAPD for possession of illegal fireworks. Believe it or not. I'm just saying, I know this guy got on a lot of trouble.

Believe it. There you go, Alfred. Alfred the Force, congratulations. You know, you're going to the big three. You know what that means? You get to walk around and go and say, Yay, yay, yay! Michael on 790.

Michael, you're ready to play, believe it or not? Believe it. During the 2011 NBA lockout, Gilbert Arenas played 11 games for the team partially owned by Kobe Bryant, the Olympia Milano in Milan, Italy. Believe it or not? Not.

That's correct. your winner congratulations. Three hours, five minutes, 22 seconds. The next show is four hours. They're going to have something drop in their lap. Dylan Cease. Willie, whatever.

And you will hear a Donald Trump impersonation. Castro. Will he Castro? Does he do that every day now? You will not hear Fidel Castro impersonation. Can you do it Fidel? Yeah, I'm doing it. Here it is.

He's dead. So I nailed it, didn't I? You did. The team is up next. Talk to you with the strippers tomorrow at 10 a.m.