Podcast Episode 384: MLB Offseason Winners, Losers and 'Who Knows'ers -

After a winter hiatus, Ben, Rob, and Darius discuss the major offseason moves thus far, predict where the remaining free agents will end up and play a quick game of ‘who am I?’

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TRANSCRIPT

Hello, and welcome to Batflips and Nerds, the Baseball podcast with a British twist. I am your host this evening, Ben Carter. We’re back after a little hiatus. Not for the first time I’m sacking hiatus, but yeah, Happy new Year to everyone belatedly.

I hope you’re all doing well out there, joining me to discuss some of the off season fun. I’ve got two of our real baseball savants in the building, starting with Ron Rivera wearing an Orioles hat tonight. How are you, Rob, Yeah, I’m feeling great because I have an Oriol’s hat is really orange. And you know what, as much as I’m not particularly fond of the Orioles, I’ve got to say when it comes to hat swag, I do think the Orioles are for like standard hat, this is probably probably one of the real best out there.

I really like the Orioles hat. Yeah, they’ve got some good match, haven’t they. Also joining us the seven. You may have just heard him there and putting on the hat for a team I can’t quite identify yet.

It’s Darius Austin. He’s given up on the hat. How are you, Darious? I’m good? Thank you? Yeah, it has been a while. It’s been I guess since what the first weekend of November.

Yeah, that whole world, serious thing that happened back on the pod, and we’ve got quite a lot to talk about, we do. Yeah, last time we spoke, we were both a little bit delirious having watched one of the most insane games and series I can remember seeing. And yeah, at at the very same time, a lot has happened, and almost nothing has happened since then, such as the baseball season. Have you’ve got I personally have not been following it that closely, other than seeing the occasional you know, Jeff Pass and botm and things like that.

Have you guys been staying very connected to every minor transaction or are you taking Have you been taking time off from baseball news? Rob? No, No, every minor transaction. I know where every Rule five has gone. I’ve been following the exploits of everyone defade from the Rockies. I am totally zoned in on the minor transactions.

God only knows about the big ones, because I’m not sure some of the some of the teams know what they’re doing with the big ones either, But the minor ones I am there. For well, I think you maybe are teasing a pot we’re going to be doing at some point in the next maybe a month or two, where we’re going to look at some of the under the radar signings, shall we say, that have taken place over the off season. But I think today we’re going to focus a bit more on some of those bigger names. And it feels like some of those dominoes actually have fallen in the last few days.

It was obviously quiet period. Maybe that’s you know, Christmas and New Year related, but now it feels like some of the bigger names that had been waiting are starting to sign on the dotted line. Darius, have you been Have you been keeping a close on everything? I feel like usually you’re pretty on the button with these. Things I have.

I am somewhat you know, contractually obliged to do so any more perspectives, certainly for two of the divisions, I have to pay attention to the minor transactions. Time to plug the baseball prospective Daniel available to purchase now, we’ll be out very soon in the next few weeks. Lots of great work and they’re doing that. But yes, I have been following the dullest of dull transactions, just because we have to.

So, yeah, I know everything that’s happened that I don’t know everything that’s happened enough, but only the minor ones. More than a million, then it’s it’s nothing. Rob does it for the love of the game. There’s nothing in his backflips contracts about having to know anything about baseball.

So this is just pure and I show that regularly. Right. Well, yeah, I think we’re going to start off talking through some of the big obviously some transactions. We have had a little bit of sort of breaking news transaction wise as we started to record, which is always exciting usually happens as we finished recordings and started it was to start the pod this time.

So I think we’re going to maybe do a quick draft of our favorite moves so far this off season free agent signings. I’m going to you, guys, take this in whatever way you want. You can either just draft the players that you are most excited to see wearing new launching next season, or you can draft the contract that you like the most or the fit that you like the most. We haven’t really put any rules in place of how this draft’s gonna work, but We’ve got a good list of sort of five ten different names here of yeah, fairly major guys who’ve now signed new contracts.

I’ll maybe let you kick us off, Rob, seeing as you’ve been keeping a cloth sign all. The moves, all the moves, the little ones, all the moves. Which of the bigger moves Michael Tolia accepted are you most jazzed about after the winter we’ve had so far. It’s a hard way to think about it.

So do I do I go with jazz because it’s an interesting move, or do I go with jazz because it’s you know, it’s a good move for a team or something. You know, because some of these are big moves that make absolutely no sense whatsoever to nice in my mind, and others are, yeah, you can see where they’re going. I’ll start with a traditional one then, So I think the first one that really said seems to make sense to me that I think is a really good move. They win.

It’s Wilson contrals to the Red Sox. I think that’s a bang on, spot on fit for a team that’s just had disaster written all over first base for the last few years. I think he’s a decent first first basement, which nobody saw coming because of course traditionally a catcher, but decent first basement as part of what has been terrible in field for the Red Sox. So there’s already an increase there his profile for hitting.

I think he’s gonna be absolutely phenomenal against the city pinball wall at Fenway, and there’s a chance for cast has to come back a bit more slowly. You know, he’s not not been durable. He’s he’s a he’s had a horrible injury. It’s gonna take some time to get back from that.

And I think you’ve got a natural platoon there and you’ve got someone who can play d H gives cass has a chance to go and get some rehab time in the minor leagues if he needs to as well. It shouldn’t do with with with training. But yeah, I just it just really really fits. He’s he himself has had a terrible time the Cardinals.

You know recently that it’s it’s been bad for him, between eating tape and getting kicked out of being a catcher. It’s not been a lovely fit for him there over at the Cardinals. But it’s supposed to be a big move for them the sort of the beginning of them pushing back towards something it really matters, and it hasn’t happened. So I think Wilson Contreras is a star of the game that we need to see a bit more in a team that’s going to be doing well, and I think this this is the place for him, spot on move and I think he’s gonna look good in the in the Red Sox.

Yeah, I like that one. As you say, I think Cassas obviously has struggled so much with injury, and there’s the I guess theoretical quite a nice patune between the two of those guys. There one who can mash right, he’s one who can mash left. Is it when they’re both fit? So yeah, that’s that’s a nice move for the Red Sox.

I know that maybe some of their fans have been a bit upset about missing out on one of the other guys who signed somewhere, but I think that’s a sneaky good addition to their lineup when Contreras is clicking Darius, which moved did you like the most so far this winter? I’m going for tatsu Imai to the Astros. I think We’ve seen maybe certainly two and perhaps all three of the MPV converts get less money than we expected. But I think Ima I was considered to be a pretty high upside starting pitcher. We’ve certainly seen guys in recent years come over shot Managa being the most recent, I guess, and have pretty big success.

I think I can at least be in that category of picture. So I love to deal for the Astros. They needed a bit of rotation help with Valdez leaving, there’s some questions at the back end, so to have him to join Hunter Brown at the top there, I think is really good for them, and they’re obviously looking to overturn what was pretty disappointing season for them, actually not making the playoffs for the first time in forever. So yeah, I really loved that move, and I would just generally quite excited to see how it gets on in MLB as well.

Yeah. I won’t pretend to know much about im. I am not a big MPB watcher, but I know that he seems to be on that sort of middle tier. Maybe.

Yeah, the comparison new Makers is apt, certainly not on the level of some of the bigger names that have come over the last couple of years, Yamamotos and whatnot. But I think he, yeah, seems to be on that slightly tier below and it seems like a good deal on paper at that value. Is it one of those where he’s got opt outs after every year, where in theory it could be a one year deal if he dominates this year. I think it’s the the Bregman from last season.

Yeah. Yeah. If he does well, he’ll stopped out immediately pretty much. Yeah, So it’s something that’s moved for him because, like you say, if he does turn out to be unbelievable, then he can cash him more next year.

And for the Astros, it’s a pretty low risk at that amount of time and that amount of money option to fill out their rotation. And it’s always exciting getting guys over here who we’ve just have never seen play, who you know, have done well over in Japan and just see how they adapt to to the major So that’ll be an interesting one to keep an eye on. Rob Any strong thoughts on on am I an excitement around him. Not specially him.

I think it’s it’s more talk on on what we know about the Japanese players. I again don’t pretend to know an awful lot about him. But what I’ve been hearing elsewhere is that there’s such a picture friendly situation in the NPB at the moment that we really don’t kind of know how good these guys are going to be compared to to m IBB because it’s it’s it’s all a bit skewed. So I think these three guys are going to be a bit of a litmus test this year and then and then next year.

In theory is when if they if they’re good, I of course see a wave of this and they’re all going to get paid if they’re okay and not so good this year, I think it might sort of set it all back a little a couple of years. But so so it’s a really interesting one to see what what’s going to happen for future years because I think this is this is, as I said, a bit of a litmus test. Yeah, I’ll actually keep it on a similar note and I’ll put Moon Attacker Murakami down as my pick. I hope I’m getting his name right there, but he obviously another guy is coming over from who maybe surprisingly signed a deal with the White Sox of all teams for yeah, two year, thirty four million dollar contract, which again feels pretty low risk for the White Sox.

I think I don’t know whether the projections have Morecami down as with that feels probably lower than what we anticipated for him. I know he is He’s a big fella, isn’t he And he’s not old he’s twenty five, but he’s probably limited to playing first. But I know there’s a ton of power in that bat, but also maybe the concerns that he could just strike out too much to even be able to pass as in every day regular so I guess at least with that investment for the White Sox, who are a team certainly in need of taking home run swings mesaphorically and literally, it feels like a nice match for them. You know, he’s been a record setter over in Japan.

I think there’ll be a lot of excitement around him, which is something again that White Soxs have been missing for a few years now. So I think that feels like a really exciting deal or something that White Sox fan should be amped for. And we have seen hitters from MPB I think take a bit more time to adjust in the past, just because maybe, as you say, Rob that league is so different in terms of the way pictures dominate that sometimes they just is that period of having to adjust to the majors. But we’ve also seen guys really succeed.

You’ve come over, says as you obviously for the Cubs, and plenty of others who have been able to make it work. And I’ll be interested to see if he can yet have a great couple of years for the White Sox. And then again he’ll be young enough to maybe sign up a third extension if all goes well, but knowing the White Sox, he’ll probably be out of the lead by August and unable to hold down a job. But yeah, I don’t know if you guys know more about Murakami or have anything that you wanted to add.

Yeah, an interesting one, just because I feel like this was a little bit telegraphed. Certain the projections are very high. I think trade rooms said about one hundred and eighty million, so the third really a long way off. I don’t think others were quite as high, but it’s still triple digit in the millions.

But there was a lot of chatter, you know, in the run up to him being posted about how high the strike out rate had been in Japan, which, as you said earlier, has been a pre picture for aendly league lately, so maybe that has something to do with it. But he has really seen close to thirty percent rate each of the last three seasons. So if you’re looking at him striking out thirty four thirty five percent the time in MLB, we are talking, you know, Joey Gallo and Joey Gallo had some good seasons, but Joey Gallo also had some you know, can you really play this guy seasons? And he was a much better defender than Mcamis. So I think that’s why we’ve ended up here.

I think it will be looked at that. I think there was a lot about him really struggling against high heat, which you don’t see very much in Japan, but when pictures were throwing hard against him, he was really struggling. And it clearly seems like a lot of teams have said, you know what, we don’t think this is going to play white socks in perfect place, you know, perfect team to take a flyer on him if it works out. Yeah, he’s a young guy.

He could easily mash forty fifty fingers in the big leagues when the power he’s got, so it could be fantastic, or it could be, you know, a one eighty batting average in out of the league by August. It is a little surprising to me that it was the White Sox. I do. I mean, I had the same thoughts about Utani when it happened.

But I do wonder if he got kidnapped at the airport and driven to the wrong stadium, because you know, I’ve been to O’Hare. It’s big, it’s a monster of an airport like, and it’s very, very easy to go the wrong way. So you know, I imagine was he supposed to be at Wrigley? Who knows? Just sees the ivy going further away in the rear view mirror. Hang on, what isn’t that? Well? Oh, hang on right, Let’s do another round then rob back to you.

Who’s Who’s another player that you liked the move for this this winter. We’ve got so many here that I want to talk about, but not many of them about actually being any good at anything. Let’s give it a stupid one then, so and we’ll go that Homer pick I liked the trade of between the Reggie’s the Pirates and the Astros, which sent Brandon, Mason Montgomery and Jake Marriingham to the Pirates for a couple of prospects, and someone else somehow also the Astros got involved. And I really like it for the Pirates because there are some really good guys here and it almost feels like it’s a bit of a bit of an undo of the the Chris Arch trade a few years ago, because that was a disaster for the Pirates to the Rays, and I think like this is going back the other way because I do not get this.

Sure, the Rays want to trade on Loud before he before he hits free agency, but Mason Montgomery is an absolute flame throwing lefty who’s just not quite got there yet, and Jake Mangham has has speed and and on base to spare like, like, there’s some really interesting guys here, but they’ve just spaffed them away for some sure, some prospects, but you know who knows how good they are, and yes, it’s the Rays, so these will probably turned out fantastic. But right now, this looks like the Pirates have done the damn good job and they’re going to have a much better, better showing of it. Yeah, maybe maybe the Pirates aren’t the place to fix Mason Montgomery. I don’t know, and you know Brandon that will be just another interchangeable bloke in that in that in field.

But I think it’s a good move for them. Had a bad mood for the Raise. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong in the long run, but there we go. I like that one.

I like one for the Pirates. Yeah, I’m glad you weighed on that because I wouldn’t have been able to give you quite as much detail on some of the guys on the on the rail side. But I think injecting a bit of talent and young players to the Pittsburgh one up, it’s a good thing. They know they were sniffing around cultural with for a bit.

Weren’t they always claiming they were sniffing around cultural with for a bit, which never really felt like it had any legs. But yeah, that’s a nice move. I think they also signed Ryano herndon’t they, So it feels like they’re trying to do things that make the team better, which isn’t always given with with the Pirates. So so that’s that’s nice for them.

And yeah the Rais, I mean you kind of assume there’s always something that they know that we don’t, but this one does seem a little puzzling. Yeah, Darius, if you see it the same. Way, Yeah, it definitely wasn’t the normal reaction you have to a pirates trade, which is usually either they’ve just made a horrible mistake or he’s dumping a load of money. Those are usually the two types of pirates trade.

If they had to happen to be spending any money on anybody in the first place, then they usually got rid of it pretty quick. So yeah, it’s moderately encouraging. It’s still very pirates codly, doesn’t it. When I think Ryan o Hearn’s their biggest free agent deal for about ten years or something, isn’t he twenty nine million dollars? We’re not quite there, but you know, it sounds like they were genuinely engaged or war.

But it seems like maybe they’re trying to surround Paul Skins with a team that could consimably hit a little bit, which would be nice for the poor guy. So yeah, I’m moderately encouraged by the Pirates attempts, and they certainly got some talent. I love watching Montgomery pitch when you know he knows where the ball is going. So yeah, I think it could be a pretty good treade for.

Them, moderately encouraged, about as excited has anyone’s ever been about the Pittsburgh Pirates. So that’s that’s a good start for them. Dish, go back to you, what’s your next favorite transaction? Yeah, I think I’m actually going to go with the other the third MPB signing, Kazima Okamoto signing with the Blue Jays. Just in general, been really impressed with the way the Blue Jays have approached this offseason.

You know, they’re not sat there going well, we made it to the World Series, we’ll just run it back. They’ve really gone out hard and look to upgrade their lineup, not just with the Kamoto, but they’ve also added Dylan Cease to the rotation. Obviously, but I like Okamota more than Murk Army. I think he seems like a more stable profile.

He’s got a bit more defensive versatility to him. He’s going to hit for a much higher average and that lineup is looking pretty deadly to me. So yeah, excited to see him play. I think really excited to see Toronto this season.

Because they were already a pretty great team last year and they’ve got better. So yeah, good move for them. Yeah yeah, I don’t know a lot about him, but that feels like, yeah, a low risk move, exciting one, and like say, that lineup was already so good that if this is something that helps push them over the h they’re going to certainly be a well series contendent once again this year, which will be fun. For my next one, I’ll go with the obvious, I’ll go I’ll go with Alex Bregman, who signed last week with with the Chicago Cubs.

I think, yeah, one of those big dominoes that we’ve waited a bit on to fall. Rob shaking his head at me, I look, no, I don’t like it. I like Bregman as a player, and I look, it’s a lot of money, and he probably isn’t the player he was three or four years ago, and I think you can make the argument that his reputation has maybe always outstripped his actual production. But I think the clubs had to go out and do something.

Having let Tucker walk for free. I like Bregman is a fit for them, even though their inn field is now very crowded. I think a right handed bat is good. I think he’s a great locker room presence.

I love the fact that they signed him about an hour before the Chicago Bears pulled off one of the craziest playoff comebacks of all time, Like what a night to be in Chicago, as those two things kind of happened all in the space of a few hours. And I like the other moved they made last week picking up Shane bats which, sorry Cabrera, which feels like a nice move for them, getting some extra help for the rotation. Yeah, I think that they needed to kind of get off their hands and do something and look that that break my contract might not look great come at the very end of it, but if you don’t, what’s the point in keeping this money if you’re not going to spend it. He was probably the best player Tucker Aside left on the market, So a good yeah, good move for them to go out and get him and make them better.

But Rob, I can really feel you ready to rebuke me. Hey, look, I have no issue with the number of years and the money. That’s that’s what you have to pay. That’s absolutely fine.

My problem is the the Cubs of let Tucker go like this like in isolation. Fine, yeah, no problem at all. I had bregmant, it’s a great move into maybe, as you say, a slightly crowded in field. But this isn’t Tucker.

Like this if you’ve let Tucker go and you’ve got this like, this is not a good trade. Like if they were to trade these guys one for one, you’d be like, what the hell has happened here? This a disaster? So no Cubs do better? Like, hey, they have time, maybe they will do better. Maybe Tucker will go there. I don’t think he will.

But this isn’t isn’t making up for it, and it says smoke and mirrors trying to make us think that they are making up for it. But it is not enough, And so I don’t think they deserve their qdos for you know, I was trying to think of something like, you know, they they’ve they’ve they’ve chucked the gold out and they’d be like, yeah, well we’ll have that that copper. Let’s let’s take that instead that that’s what they’ve done here. It’s it’s not a not a good trade.

So don’t let them put the smoke of mirrors over your eyes. It’s not good. They’ve they’ve they’ve traded silk for cotton fair enough. I mean, yeah, I don’t disagree.

I Tuck is a better player, and if you’re going to spend the money, why not spend it all and get him back. But it feels like all the money, for whatever reason, that relationship had fallen apart a little bit. And yeah, I don’t know how seriously they made a play for Tucker or whether they just got too rich for their for their taste, but at least they went out and did something. I guess there are a lot of teams that haven’t done much at all, so I like that for them.

There has any strong views on the Bregman deal, I. Still see where rober is coming from, and I feel similarly about the Cabrari deal, sort of in the isolation. Also like quite an interesting player, different point in his career, potentially a lot of upside, but it still feels like they’re playing below the top of the market. And it’s the Cubs.

You know, they should be able to pay at the top of the market. You know, they should be able to go and get an ace, They should be able to bring back car Tucker, and obviously they can still do those things, but it seems like they are pitching themselves just kind of in that second tier a little bit after a season when the Brewers had their number yet again. So we’ll see how it plays out. You know, it’s never bad to have ad Ex Bregmant on your team.

But I would like to see the Cubs show a little bit more ambition in terms of who they are targeting, because they have seemed to shy away from these real blockbuster guys when you know, this is a top five team in baseball in terms of, like, you know, any potential in terms of the amount of money they have at their disposal, they should be up there. It’s you know, the Yankees and the Red Sox, but they’re not. Should do one more round quickly. Yeah, I’ve got another four, but like I’ll take one.

Yeah, where we want to go? And it’s not a good move. It’s not a it’s not a good move. It’s a move I want to talk about though, And that’s Alonso to the Orioles. Wow, this is great, This is fantastic.

Chris Davis too, We’ve. Got another one. Everybody, we have another one. I remember watching and just thinking, oh God, here comes Chris Davis.

G I am so like, I really wish this guy was on my team, and then Chris Davis happened, and like he even looks a bit like him. Like there’s so many. Parallels here with Chris and Peter Alonso. So I’m just I’m just absolutely stoked to see this all go so horribly wrong in two years time, and that you know, I wish on mister Alonzo himself, although he seemed like a bit of an odd bloke.

I just I just love how how this is history repeating so horribly. It’s it’s totally gonna happen. I can totally see it, and then no one will talk me out of this being Chris Davis Mark too. Yeah, I feel like we’ve been waiting for the Peter Alonzo fall off for a couple of years now, haven’t we, And it hasn’t really happened yet, but it does feel like when it does, it will be dramatic and it would be very Orioles for it to happen for them.

As soon as they signed this huge contract for him. I like it. It’s exciting and it’s fun and it’s like New Player, New City, and god, they already needed to do something, didn’t they? And I, yeah, I mentioned Baz earlier wrongly saying he’s going to be compable hit. But that also quite exciting for them, Like it feels like they’re at least they’ve learned their lesson from las year where they kind of didn’t do anything, thinking we’ve got a great team and then it all fell apart.

So at least they’re trying. But yeah, that does feel like one that could could end in disaster. Darius, who have you got an next on your on your list? I think I’m gonna pick Josh Naylor back to the Mariners, just because Josh Naylor seems like a pretty fun guy. The Mariners had a pretty fun time last season, and it’s nice to see them do something on the hitter side, you know, actually keep somebody around who helped their line up quite considerably.

We’ll see whether he comes out and you know, steals a ludicrous amount of bases again, but it just seems like quite a good personality and they seem to love him over there in Seattle. So I have given Jerry to put her a lot of grief on this podcast over the last few years for not supplementing one of baseball’s best rotations with offensive players. So I thought I should take the opportunity to say, hey, well done for actually signing a hitter to a long term contract. Yeah.

My incinent response was, that is a lot of money for Josh Naylor, but he has been a productive and like I know, you’re no one’s following his stolen base pursuits more placer than you are. That that was unbelievable twist in the tail last year where he’s only became like Baseball’s best stolen bas guy. So that, like, that’s a fun deal, and like you say, it seemed like a great fit player in city, another guy who it feels like could maybe fall off at a little cliff on once the age hits a certain point. But that’s yeah, that’s a fun one.

My last one’s kind of a fun one too. How could I not talk about my old favorite player, Noan Arnado, who somehow is still limping around the league getting shipped off to the Diamondbacks in a pretty major salary dump. From I say salary dump. The Cardinals are still mostly paying his salary, but he will be playing for the Diamondbacks, which, like, is that not a perfect fit? You almost think he could have been playing for Diamondbacks forever Aaronado, So that that just seems to work to me.

I think we’re past his best years at the plate and in the field, but he’s still an impactful defender. I think in that ballpark he could still hit some dingers. So yeah, that’s just kind of a fun one to have a look at the box score every now and again and see if no one went deep. You know, the Rockies are still paying him five million as well.

Next year literally play against them, and he will. He will hit fifteen against the Rockies. Yeah, we should probably finish with maybe a quick go on. Was it was it Glaver against against the Orioles one year hit like it was? It was ridiculous, a bit like eighteen.

Home runs against them or something when they were just drawn up. And then against anybody else. Yeah, Yeah, they just couldn’t get them, and Ben it’s coming. There’s no change there for the Rocket.

It could be anyone and they’ll go deep against the Rockie anywhere. We’ve already dedicated enough airtime to them. Yeah, we should probably maybe quickly touch on the range of Suarez deal, which literally has been signed. Yeah, an hour or so ago.

Now he’s gone with the Red Sox five years, one hundred and thirty million, no opt outs, no deferrals. He is on the older side, I think twenty nine, maybe thirty, so this will take him through to his mid thirties. And he’s never really been a power pitcher has He’s more of the deception and control and movement guy. I think the Red Sox maybe this was a slight knee jerk reaction to getting piped to Bregman feel like they had to go out there and do something, But it definitely makes irritation stronger for this year.

So it appeels to me like a nice deal. You’re never going to get a guy of his caliber for less years than that. I think it’s. Yeah, it’s not going to hamstring them too much, So my opinion, good deal.

Rob Agree, Oh, totally agree. Absolutely That Red Sox team is quietly going to be chipping away right up behind the Blue Jays, so I actually have them in my mind slightly head of Blue Jay’s at this point. But yeah, absolutely there is any concern about his stuff translating in the next few years, No, I. Don’t think so.

You know, he’s been a pretty solid picture I mean, there is some uncertainty around exactly what the Red Sox in field looks like. Obviously, I got a lot of very young players who have not really proven themselves yet. We don’t know what’s gonna happen with Marcel and Mayer. We don’t know what’s gonna happen with Christian Campbell.

Trevor Story is probably not the best defensive shortstop at the age of thirty three, so for a groundball guy like the Ranger, you know, maybe not the best fit for him in that regard, But it’s you know, the Red Sox having put Gray and Suarez into this rotation, I think it’s exactly what they needed to do behind Garrett Crochet. So yeah, good for them. And he’s still I think he tens thirty this season, so it’s not like they’re signing him into his late thirties or anything. I think it’s fine.

Yeah, Yeah, it’s a pretty mean one two three for them. Now they’ll be yeah, forcing me reckon with this year. Should we quickly do predictions for the sort of remaining big free agents. I think we’ve got a list of six of them here that have guesses.

I’ve only got five, got five it’s a good start. I haven’t made my own predictions for any of them yet, so this is going to be made up on the fly. But I imagine by the time this podcast even comes out, one or two of them we’ll sign again. As I say, it does feel like the dominos are starting to fall now, and we’re obviously getting closer to pictures and catchers reporting and players getting a bit panicky if they haven’t got a team.

Let’s start with the big dog, Kyle Tucker. Rob Kyle Tucker next year will be playing four the. It’s the Mets, which is a really stupid boring answer, because you know the offer is on the table, it’s big money, and it looks like it’s going to happen. So I’ve done my very very best with these predictions to go at least a little bit off p But this one, I just it’s rail roaded.

He will be a Met or outside chancey Yankee if they can get rid of Stanton somehow, but otherwise he’s going to New York. Yeah. I also think Mets to Tucker feels like the Mets a bat themselves into a corner where they kind of have to sign him now because they’ve missed out on everyone else that would be an impact bat. So yeah, I think he inevitably will be in there.

I mean, inly see what contract looks like. If it ends up being a high AAV short deal length contract where he gets opped outs again, because that sounds like it’s maybe the way it’s trending, or if it’s just one of those monster ten year deals, we’ll be interesting to see. Darius, You’ve got a more interesting answer for us, I. Think interesting but still plausible.

The Phillies. I think the Phillies need help right like that, so I would would like to see that. Obviously. I’d like to the Giants do it because they definitely need help in right field, but they’re not going to because the Giants are the most mid team that has ever been in existence.

Let’s do the mid all infield, then Bobaschet. Darius, where’s Bobusche going? It? Feel? It feels like he’s getting back to the Blue Jays somehow, just because of the way they properate. Yeah, there are a lot of people that need second basement, but I don’t know how many of them are going to pay what it takes to get Bobuschet. I feel like I haven’t heard so many rumblings about Bishet either the Red Sox of the other team that I could kind of see it just so they don’t have to think about this headache of what what exactly is are infield.

That would certainly tie up a spot for them. Again, you’d worry about a Bischette story middle infield convo probably, but yeah, I could. I could see them getting in the mix for him as well. I had Bichette downs as Red Sox.

It’s on my short list, but I’ve actually I’ve actually gone to the Astros. I feel like there is a nice fit for for Bichette again. I think his bat plays nicely there. And you know, Dubona now to a second, aren’t doing it for me.

I’ll too, is obviously shipping out to the outfield and then off to you know, a canoe being pushed out and set on fire, because that’s where that’s going. And Dubaran is great, but he’s a he’s a you know, he’s a utility guy. He’s gonna be all over the shop. You don’t want to you don’t want to stick him at second and keep him there.

So I would see Bishett being a nice little fit for for Houston, which has some money to spend because they’ve had a bit of cash off the books. So I reckon he could go there. It’s probably a little bit bit late for like a big long contract at this point, so maybe like a two years, three years with opt outs, and then he’ll see where he can where he can go if he if he rakes, But I like, I like Houston for him. Before we get angry, I’m going to I’ll just point out that Mauricio Dube is that with the Braves.

Was he When did that happen? When did that happen? Quite a while, I think, oh man got bull this is embarrassed. Well that even what it just plays even more into my hands. Then we absolutely need we need mister Bouchette in in in Houston, Dubar to the breeze. That makes no sense to me, no sense whatsoever.

Send him back. I’m gonna I’m gonna take this one in the direction that feels like it’d be a nice fit just for a player and team, and and that is with your Giants, Darius. I don’t have no idea who plays or be playing second base with the Giants this year, but it feels like Bshet would be an upgrade on whoever that warm body is and it just feels like a nice Katy Schmidt there you go. No disrespect to Katy Schmidt, but I think grade for them, and yeah, like they definitely need some help in that lineup they are, they are mid, so maybe that precludes him from making a big swing for him, But I think on one of those deals Broad mentioned, that’s yeah, like with the opt outs, it could be quite a nice move.

Let him have a have a good season or two there and see where things stand after that. But they yeah, they certainly use a help. I think someone reported they were in the market for a trade to trade for a second basement, why not go out and just spend a bit of money and and bring Buschet in and kind of get the best guy available. Yeah, they have been looking at Brendan Donovan and Nico Horner apparently, so clearly clearly appetite to do something there.

But yeah, do you think more exciting than you know, Adrian Hauser and this kind of thing with Adrian Houser. We’ve only got one lefty or dominating left at least left on the market now with the swazign that’s fran Ba Valdez formerly the Houston Astros. Do we think he stays in Houston? Do you have him going elsewhere? What do you reckon? Run Orioles. The only way the ridiculous situation of trading what’s his face, It’s gonna come to me, Grace Rodriguez.

The only way it makes any sense is if they if they absolutely flood with with other signings. Now they they’ve got the the Alonso, so they’re clearly pushing chips in. So yeah, absolutely they’ve got to go get pitching, and he fits there. Why not, Let’s let’s have him as an Oriel.

I think that’d be fun. They definitely need an ace, don’t they, even with Yeah, some of the moves they’ve already made so that that feels like someone they could at least Plausa. The need like a fun line starter, and. Everybody needs to.

Be nobody more than the Orioles, Nobody more than the Oriols. I mean, honestly, honestly, the Mets should sign him because Steve has an infinite amount of money and like I like Nolan mcclaim. He looks really good last season, but he is pretty much their number one by default, and I believe he’s still technically a rookie because he pitched under fifteen last season, so I’m not sure about that rotation. That’s there’s a lot of question marks going on there.

I think they could do with a nice frum with our beds. I will send him to the Padres. It feels like they’ve had a really quiet winter. I don’t know if that’s like that just because they’re doing luxury tax things and trying not to spend or what the explanation is, but usually they’re one of the big animators, it feels like in the off season, and that doesn’t seem to have been the case so far.

So yeah, why not chuck down another sort of frontline starter who can help them compete in that division and try and haul back the Dodgers. So to the Padres Hody Bellinger? That makes sense. Where is lub bell Ringer headed next? Rob? This is difficult. I feel like he’s to overly use and far too obvious joke.

He’s a bit high on his own supply here. He seems to be holding out for a deal that I’m not sure is there, so, I mean the obvious answer is Yankees. He stays put gets gets some big cash to be where he is. But if you look around the league and think where might he be some use, Like, you know, if he went to the Brewers, they’re high right now, Like I could see him play a bit of a bit of outfielding the Brewer for the Brewers.

So I’m going to go with Brewers, knowing full well they’re not going to stump up the kind of cash he’s looking for. But that’s based on maybe he doesn’t get the deal he wants from the Yankees and he finds himself just out in the cold, So yeah, let’s go for Brewers. There is Yeah, I mean it’s I’m assuming the Yankees are the boring answer. I’m like, that makes the most sense, but it is kind of hard, like that’s where all the buzzer’s been, you know, nobody else is just Bellinger doesn’t want to side with the Yankees unless they give them two more years.

The Yankees really wanting back, but they’re not going to give them two more years. At some point. It feels like they’re just going to more of concord and yeah, get one more year, or they’ll give them a higher av or an extra opt out or something. And they’ll just bring him back.

I’ll just say who ought to do it, which is the Tigers remained unconvinced by the Tigers lineup for much of last season. They’ve got the odd bright spot. But you know when when Seal Prayers is playing right field for them, you know they could use the help. Like is Spencer talkers and really likes he come good? Now are we convinced? I don’t.

I don’t know if we’re convinced. You know, it feels like the Tigers are the kind of team where guy like Benen you play all three out field sports, play first base. You’ve just got that safety. Then you’ve got the cover.

You can count on him. So I would like to soon do that and you know, actually dominate the Al Central properly instead of letting Cleveland come back into it again. They won’t. I would like to see.

Yeah, I think he ends up with the Yankees or the Mets would be the other team again, partly because they backed into a corner of feeling that they need to spend some money with some of the names that have left them. Partly because I think that would just be a fun fit to send him there. He Yeah, it does feel odd because I think he’s probably gonna end up getting offers similar to what he just opted out of, which puts him in a slightly embarrassing spot of taking a very similar deal to the one he just decided he wanted to test the market to see if he could better. But yeah, I think that’d be a fun fit and it would help shore up some of the power they’ve lost from that lineup this offseason.

So yeah, put them down to the to the Mets final two. Then we can quickly go through Zach Gallon. Where is Zach Gallon going? We’ll start with you this time, Darius. This feels like a Giants move because he probably is coming up a pretty bad season.

I could totally see them doing what they’ve done with quite a few guys over the last few years, thinking of like Kevin Garsman, for example, where you know people have maybe not quite lived up to their expected level. Giants have come in, you know, signed a one year deal or something, but they can opt out after one year, rehabilitate the profile, and then move on somewhere else. Giants have been fishing around in this part of the market, so yeah, I could I could believe them going after another another starting picture here and just rounding out their rotation. I would see the obvious answer feels like he stays put where he is, but again boring.

So I went with the Pirates because Gallon is a bit like Galleon, and that’s what Pirates ride on. So you know, you’ve fit nicely and there’s a three or four guy in there, and with some upside if these if he gets back to the zach of old. So yeah, Pirates, all I said, Orioles because again they need pitching and they should be buying everyone. But yeah, Pirates, let’s go with that one.

That’s a fun one. I like that. I’ll send him to to the Cubs. They’ve you know, deferred from the Bregma money, They’ve got plenty more to spend.

I think their rotation could still use an upgrade or two. So I’m kind of just picture him at Wrigley, you know, with the nice facial hair and the IVY in the background. So go into the Cubs final one. IV It just goes well together, doesn’t it.

Not that I would know we’re gonna do a Suarez who who are good? John McGee thought had signed with the Red Sox tonight when he saw the report that Suarez had gone there and almost lost his head completely. Uh, fortunately the other Suarez they signed. But maybe you guys think he’s gonna end up with the Red Sox. Anyway, where where do you see our favorite big bopper, au Henny O ending up Darius? Yeah, this is a tough one.

I don’t know who needs that helped the most. I almost want to say something a bit off the wall, like the Nationals, because the Nationals are all like twelve, and it feels like they could maybe do with one piece of veteran leadership from the clubhouse. And by all accounts, a Helio is just a tremendous clubhouse guy. And you know they’ll started him and then they’ll trade him at mid season because they’ll be twenty games under five hundred and everybody will be happy.

So I’m just going to say the Nationals because yeah, I think it would be funny. Feels like the Angels are going to spend far too much money on him. It’s got Angels written all over it, like the you know Rendom’s got like no, no, no, no, that was a bad move. So yeah, I reckon, I reckon He’s going to the Angels.

Failing that Japan. Oh. I like that. It does feel like he could You could like kind of make an argument with him going almost anywhere.

It’s just one of those players that, yeah, we’re just kind of fit. I’ll maybe follow a little bit your suggestion, Darius, of having him or as a mental figure for a team that’s trying to change their culture. I’ll send them to the Pirates who still need more in that lineup. Can actually pitch him in Pirates Colors.

But I think. It’s hard to imagine any free agents in Pirates Colors because they don’t really. Unless they’re about to finish their career. Yeah, they think they could use a third base when they could use any position, couldn’t they.

And that might be a nice fit with some of the younger talent they’ve got, and Murakami is or not Murakami, sorry, with who they signed. If I signed anyone, never mind, that’s that would be a nice fit for them. I do quite like Rob’ suggestion, because currently the Angels have like Vaughan Grisome, a second base who Red Sox obviously just cast aside because they don’t think he’s any good. So you could totally believe in just moving Christian More back to second base and signing as far as the third unreasonably long amount of time, and you know.

That he would either be the worst player in baseball or the best, or would just alternate month by month, because that’s just what he does, and that’s what the Angels do. The Angel. The Angels would get like a seventy WRC plus out of him for three months and then he’ll go somewhere else and be great. That’s it, That is the answer.

Yeah, back to Seattle again and yeah taking to the playoffs excellent. Well that’s that sorted. Then the rest of the off season spoiled for you. I’m afraid, folks, I thought we could quickly.

We’ve not got much more to chat about. But another bit of slightly funky news that came out this week is that Kaufelman Stadium, the kay home of the Kansas City Royals, it’s going to be getting a makeover this off season. They’re going to be bringing the walls in closer. The dimensions will slightly change.

Maybe Darius, you can speak a bit more to the exact impact is going to have on players and stats, because it’s quite interesting one. You know, your initial thought is great. There’s gonna be more home runs that will help out all the hitters there. But Kaufman has always rated as a relatively hit a friendly park, partly because of the amount of space in the outfield rights, which will now change.

So maybe some of those line drives that are getting down will become outs, but also some of those fly balls that were outs will become home runs. So yeah, what what’s your initial take on whether this is good for those you know, young Royals hitters or actually, is it kind of much of a muchness and there’ll be fewer doubles more home runs net result is kind of the same thing. Yeah, I mean, they had some interesting comments about this which sort of suggested that they were sick and tired of watching their players change their approach because they thought they weren’t going to hit any home runs, which Rors were like twenty sixth in home runs last season. It’s not wrong, so I’ll be interested to see what the impact is in that regard.

They have currently a very low strikeout team, so I do worry a little bit that they’ve sort of already assembled a roster that in fact does not know how to hit home runs. They therefore this isn’t going to go that well as well for them as it might for say their opponents, you know, Vinnie Pascantino and Salvador whereas maybe they will hit war home runs Bobby wit Junior. Yeah, but then who’s next, Like who is on this roster that you’re thinking, Wow, that guy’s going to hit loads more home runs? Now. I don’t think Jack Caglione’s problem is like how close the fences are, will you make contact with the baseball? And yeah, then it’s like, yeah, kylesball’s not going to hit more loads of home runs because you’ve moved the fences in ten feet.

So I have my concerns. But maybe they’re thinking about this more in the long term than the short term, and that it will hopefully make their younger hitters not change their approach to become more contact oriented. I think it’s going to hurt their pictures quite a bit. And I do also wonder about that from the opposite perspective of how many of them have just been like, yeah, I’ll give them flyball that’s not going to go out of the park, and find that it is now going to go out of the park.

But you know that the people running the Royals seem to be a lot smarter than the people previously running the Royals used to be, so they’ve done all the maths and they’ve figured out that this is going to be good for them in the long one. I do love the idea of the Royals being like, this is great, our guys are going to hit so many more home runs now, and then realizing opening Day that now the other team can also hit home runs. Hang on, this wasn’t part of the calculations at all, but it feels like this is a good news for Bobbywit Junior Rob that you know, he’s an MVP candidate as it is, does this help him become, you know, a fifty home run guy and dominate baseball for the next five years more so than anybody has. Well, anything that puts that extra a little bit on top four him does help, because you know, the Royals not the biggest market team, they don’t get the most coverage.

You know, you’re often not looking at the Royals when good things are happening. So you know, if he has some Hollywood numbers on his home run hitting that that really can’t help him, can’t hurt him. Sorry, get a few eyes on him because the game’s already there. He’s already good enough.

It’s just no one’s looking. So you know, let’s have some flashy starts that make more people look. So yeah, probably it will probably probably do a bit for his profile certainly. And the team on your hat, the Oriols.

When did they bring their fences in? Was that two years ago? Now? Yeah, I wasn’t good. Was it like this? I was thinking that, Well, I see I’ve thought about this the last few years every time someone’s brought the fences or moved the fence, and we’ve had a bit of a discussion about it. I ever really remember it being particularly positive. You know, the Marlins did it, and and the Orioles did it, and you know when the Astros did it, they took out the fun hill at the back and the you know tolls hill that went.

So you know, when was the last time someone moved the fences and we were like, oh, actually, this is fantastic because I don’t remember it happening. No, it’s a good point. I’m sure there are numbers to back up, maybe darish you know some of them then was to back up like the exact part factor effect of some of these changes. But you’re right that, at least from a watching the game perspective, it doesn’t suddenly feel like, oh my god, that one went out, that one never goes out now that some of these teams have moved them in.

Yeah, I mean it’s complicated. I think we’re certainly working on modeling it at the moment at BP. But if the Royals theory is correct and their players change their behavior based on where the fences are, then that may all sort of be a bit irrelevant. Anyway, if they start trying to hit more fly balls, for example, I might find that the effects are outsized, so it will be interesting to see.

I have been trying to think about an answer to Rob’s question. But if there was a massive success story of somebody moving the fences in and it seemed to greatly benefit their team more than it hurt them, and one isn’t coming to mind. Apparently the Royals did do this like back in the late nineties before for like six or seven years, and they just went back to the old dimensions again it worked and that they hit more home runs. I don’t think the Royals were good in the late nineties, but I’m not that Okay, with their history of playoff appearances.

Look it up. I find it hard to raise. Did cut a tiny little chunk out of the left field? It was for Carl Crawford, a tiny little chunk out and that’s exactly where that ball went over on game one six one six two forios. So hate look that that worked, that tiny little cutup they put in.

Well, that’s what suggesting is that teams should just really specifically tailor bits of their park to certain players. Was that just? I mean, this was very specific. I mean I was im honest, I was just vamping while you looked up how good the Royals were in their last last fence move period. But what we got.

Well, I think it was ninety six or ninety seven, though we did it. So they finished when the division was fifth, fifth, third, fourth, fourth, fifth, fourth, and then I think I think they went back in two thousand and three. I think it was so the most games they won in that period was seventy seven. Fantastic, well done.

Well done, you lot, that’s very good. I’ll just move their fences back. They did score more runs, so did the opposition. Yeah, they scored a lot more runs than allowed even more runs.

Funny how that works well, yeah, yeah, we were segueing there, I think into into a fun hypothescal that feels like your street Robie, Who which ballpark do we want to see changed next? You know it doesn’t happen very often, but where are you putting your next cutout of the wall area or walls moving in or back or higher or lower. Any ballparks come to mind as needing a refresh when it comes to the dimensions. Yeah, I mean yeah, the team I follows in the Al East, so we’ve got stupid pinball park in Boston. We could cut a great big hole in that so that you know, we have a I don’t mind the top bit, so if it goes up really really high that find it’s a home run.

But let’s kind of let’s kind of shallow it out so that you can have a normal, normal, sort of lower level for line drives and stuff rather than banging off everything. So that that was one option. The other option on Lee is, you know, get rid of the stupid short porch in in Yankee Field. But I thought the real answer, the correct answer here is it’s not so much about the dimensions, but we need to put the fish tanks back in Miami.

Ah, yeah, you know nobody. I don’t think anybody. I mean, obviously the statue should go back, because you know, it’s become the dullest park in Major League Baseball. But you know, I don’t think you’ll find anybody arguing other than maybe Peter, that the fish tanks were not an improvement on what we currently have.

What was gea thinking. Anything? What is thinking anything? The man is more fun than I am on board with. Just to understand your Famway Park idea, are you saying the green monster should should should sort of bend like this, Yes, biboys can still go over it, but now there is more space under it. Absolutely, there’s like a there’s like a like a cave we’ll call it, like the left field cave or something where where they are running into get to get the So maybe if you if if you have a right handed hitter, he can make one day actually hit a double rather than getting thrown out at second on what should have been a double because of stupid pinball park.

I’m sure, yeah, I’m sure that I did. Will go down with Red Sox fans. Darius, your stage Emelion with the with the Giants feels like one that maybe. I don’t know if they have been discussed before.

I’m sure they have about moving those walls in. That’s obviously a tough, tough ballpark for hitters. Is that the one that comes to mind for you? Or there any others that you think could could use a change. Yeah, well anything that was water adjacent.

I thought there should just be more involvement of the water. So can we get a boat around the edge or something, you know, something the outfielders have to dive into to make step backular catches, So we could do that. In San Francisco we do thats right by the river CA. Yeah, yeah, anything like that.

Maybe we just have like a what like a river running right through the center of the field. That could be fun. You know, really got to watch the ball and make sure you don’t land in the lake that they’ve oh, I like, yeah that’s what I want. And I did have that ships all the time in San Francisco and the players never can take part.

But imagine if you did the diving cash into the bay, that would be. You know, there get Dave and his canoe. If you knock him over or something, you get two runs. I actually do have a oracle Park on we list as well, I said they should bring the outfield s left center field, bring it in because having visited it, that was just too busy.

There’s too many people around the coke bottle, so like they just need more space for people. So if they bring bring into the field a bit, there’s more walking space and everyone will be happier. And it’s hard hit home runs out there as well, So exactly. There, you know, win win.

I like it. But yeah, the only addition I had I think at Petco Park, if you managed to hit a ball off the Western Metal Supply Co sign, it should count as double runs for how many people are on base, that should be a double home run for hitting the Western Mester Supply Company sign. You don’t want to do anything outregous to cause you know fifty foot Well, I. Was thinking, like, is there a way you can make just center field like five hundred like way deeper, so it’s almost like polo.

Ground polo grounds. Yeah, which, well, I think I was kind of fine with the idea in my head of like a center fielder just running after a ball that is just very clearly and inside the park home run. But I mean that stadium is broken I don’t think there’s anything you can really do. They have maybe like actually in recent.

Years they’ll be like a mad Max three Thunderdome sort of situation, like two teams in one team up, but like it’s it’s Tony. It’s like it’s like a like like every hit ball is going to hit the hit the roof, so you know it can’t go anywhere, So there’s there’s no home runs, new home runs and cares because you’ve got like a tiny trump and it can’t like everyone’s ducking as they’re playing because the roof is so low, so the ball just kind of like pings around everywhere in. Place of different angles as well, so you never know which way the ball is going to bounce when it hits the roof. It could be like all random.

Oh wow, yeah, absolutely, and just horrific injuries left right and center from ricochets. Yeah, I like it should, Like does anybody notice that that Rockie died no interchangeable one right to the. Face that point we might as well try that didn’t get silly. I think we’re going to at some point talk WBC.

We’re actually not far away now from the World Baseball Classic. Russ is planning to go out there for it, which is very exciting. So I think when he is able to join us, we’re going to maybe talk through that with him, and I think we’ll probably do like a proper preview pod for that at some point as well, talk through teamgb’s chances and they’re pool some of the other teams and players to look out for. That will be really exciting.

I know it’s a highlight of the year whenever we have a WBC to watch. Obviously, you ticular exciting with TEAMGB taking part and then yeah, Paul that you know whisper it quietly, they may have a good chance at getting some wins in. I think the squads for those will also drop soon. I don’t know if it’s like an actual date they will be officially announced, but there’s obviously rumors starting around who GB are looking to announce in their squad, some quite exciting names it could be, and that so yeah, once that all comes together, we’ll make sure we set up sometimes talk that through.

And there’s also a chance still to book a trip out there, either just off your own back but a home run traveler running special packages for fans in the UK’s go out and watch their team out there, so yeah, worth hooking them up if you haven’t. I looked at those today and they’re not bad, genuinely not bad. I had a look like they are guaranteeing you like a three star hotel and stuff, and it’s the prices aren’t crazy, all flights and stuff. I hadn’t really looked much into them before, but I did ever look today and genuinely there’s not a plug.

They’re not paying us anything at all. It actually looks like a fairly decent way to go and experience in baseball with some British people. So I think there’s that It’s genuinely something worth looking at. Yeah, yeah, I thinks to stress out of it, at least of all the things you have to do when you’re booking those trips.

So yeah, and obviously if you do go, then let us know and Russ will be out there, possibly others will see as the time gets closer, I know there’s always you know, other fans that make that the journeys out there, so shout up to it to those guys. I had a quick quiz. This is Gav’s idea. Is this sort of starter for ten quiz idea where I am going to give you clues to the identity of a player, sort of starting with difficult ones that you hopefully won’t be able to immediately get, and then making them slightly easier if he’s trying and guess who this sort of mystery player is.

I think gas sujudgment to do it with current players. I’ve actually gone with a historical player, in a retired player who you’re you know, it’s not you’ll both have heard of him. But I thought that that might be more fun. So if you’re well, that’s game over.

My first tear was going to be was actually shit. So that’s that spoiled? Why anyone? And I guess right here we go? Then I’ve the way I’ve written this up is as a who am I? So I am this player for the purpose of my description a case so plu one. I was drafted in the twenty third round of the nineteen ninety six MLB draft, and by the end of my career I became this is a fun fact, the latest drafted player to lead my draft class in Baseball Reference war so because I was a twenty third rounder. Yeah, that is the latest selection that a player has ever led his draft class.

In war from now. That’s a pretty tough one to start with unless you really know your ninety ninety six MBI draft. But do you guys have any initial clues or guesses as to who this might be. I can’t imagine you do.

But Darius, I know you do. You know your players. I’m not familiar with the nineteen ninety six MBI draft. No, so it feels like a brave.

It was like, I mean, don’t give us any clues, but it feels like it feels like someone from the braves. That’s that’s my Braves thing to do. It feels like the time the Braves are around, Like I can’t remember names, but there’s some guys from around there who I feel like they’re going to be the guys. So yeah, it feels like a brave to me.

But I mean, yeah, I have no more than that. You’re doing all the heavy lifting here, Darius. Yeah, I’m going to need more more clues than that. I think.

I think Ben’s actually just the suspense is going to be incredible. The only draft pick I could think of who was the player that I thought I could remember who he was drafted like crazy late was Mike Piazza. But he was like a fortieth or fiftieth round draft pick, wasn’t it? And it was like a favor to his dad basically that he got drafted at all. I mean, yeah, Mike Piazza drafted him.

To find that out, I’m vamping while Ben. Comes back, let’s talk about Mike Piazza, just to get that he nearly came back then he didn’t draft MLB. I’m not I’m going to shamelessly google it now. I was in the dry was really really big.

Do you want to guess? Guess when what round was? Might be? Alzo drafted in nineteen eighty eight. Nineteen eighty eight, okay, right, so I believe there. Was no restriction on how many rounds, like teams could just keep picking until they were done. Back then, Oh, this.

Is gonna be ridiculous, like. Sixties very good, sixty second. Wow. So that was like, this is a crazy late draftic that was the first player I thought of, but obviously too early for this purpose.

Yeah, I don’t know much about nineteenninety six, but so so if it’s someone from nineteen ninety six, their career is probably and they were good. So let’s say they played for sort of fifteen ish years. You know, they’re going to be. At least a couple of years to get to the major’s probably so, yes, he’s through the two thousands.

Did he say, yeah, how many years his career was? We haven’t had that. I’m hoping that they might be one of the when he returns. It looks like he’s trying again. When he returns, it might be one of the next loses how many years he played for? But uh so, yeah, if we’re assuming he’s yeah, been like what so finished at like twenty ten ish, that’s going to be roughly.

Because they probably start the time you first few years I was watching baseball, it would have been. Yeah, exactly, yeah, yeah, so he’s going to be going at that kind of point. All r I’ve just been talking about Benny you back, I think. Come back.

Have you guys been riffing the whole time at who this might be? Yeah, we went down and Mike Piazza a rabbit hole. But that’s fine. No, I well, I’m little beings. It told me to stopped recording, but I think it’s back recording now anyway.

Apologies, So yeah, sorry, I don’t think you’ve got it yet. But I’m just fine aside in nineteen ninety six MLB draft might be the worst draft of all time? Can I read out they first? I don’t know ten names that were picked. Let’s go with five. Yet’s start with Chris Benson, Travis Lee, Braden Looper, Billy Cock, John Patterson.

Have you heard of any players in your life? The first fourth on again? Do that again? Billy Cock or Billy Carr. I have found with Billy Cock and Branden Looper. I think I am. Googling Billy cor not on the work computer.

There are a bunch of other names that I haven’t heard of until you get to Mark Cott, say at nine, Eric Chavez at ten, Adamton not that one, Mary Timmis was good, and then you’ve got ra A. Dicky at eighteen. Who Yeah, obviously that long ago. Really yeah, anyway, that was just a slight a side to say the nineteen ninety six sucked just part of the reason this guy ended up the most successful player from it.

I have a sear side with Billy Cock. Sorry, I have not let Billy cock. Billy Cock is also apparently it’s a term for ball. I had Billy Cock.

Oh, I know why, I know Billy cock because he was on the two thousand and two A’s and you were the hat the moneyball eyes. I do remember that being in the movie I picked Rick Show would have picked up on Billy Copp. Okay, right on the clue too too. That Baseball reference war figure that led that draft class was forty nine point nine accumulated over thirteen MLB seasons as a starting pitcher with four different teams, although I actually he actually accumulated negative war for two of those teams, so he made most of his most of his wins above replacement for just two teams.

So that’s thirteen years in the majors. Yeah, thirteen years in the majors starting pitcher, four teams. So presumably it took him two three years to get to the majors. So we are talking roughly twenty ten, as we guessed whilst we were vamping, roughly twenty ten for the end of his career.

Then this doesn’t help me in the slightest. If I had some teams might be able to start has to card. Yeah, okay, two three. This is a long one, but it made me laugh, so I’m going to read it all out.

I was a free agent for the first time. Following the twenty eleven season, in which I put up two point one b war with a three point six to nine ERA across twenty three starts. The headlines about me on MLB trade rumors during that off season go as follows. Blank seeks multi year deal, Blank seeking three year deal, Blank seeks one year deal.

Interest picks up, many teams in on Blank, No deal close. Blank still on Rangers radar asking price drops for Blank, Red Sox intensifying pursuit of Blank agent, no chance of Blank relieving. Rangers not likely to sign Blank, Phillies considered Blank deal unlikely. Blank could have had a new team by tomorrow.

Blank will now look to sign mid season. Blank open to playing anywhere. Angels emerging as front runner for Blank. Rangers to sign Blank.

So that final one Rangers two signed Blank is how it finally ended. That was his twenty eleven free agency as subscribed by MLB trade rooms headlines. Christ I don’t know if I haven’t seen a player have that many headlines so on over one off season, it’s going to be good or headlines as Blank will play anywhere when you’re willing to go to cords, you know, that the market is bad. Okay, clue for this one will where I think will help you get there or at least get close.

I was part of a blockbuster trade that saw me go one way in return for Ja Happ, Anthony Go and Jonathan Villar the other, a trade that would securitously later allow my original team to eventually land Garrett Cole. Jonathan Ha ha ha. So can you read the names in the trade again? Yea, yeah, yeah, So I was traded one way and going back the other way were Ja Happ, Anthony Goss and Jonathan Vr Jonathan. So this is and this helped the team, the original team to land Gerrit Cole securitously.

Yeah, many years later if you kind of follow the display, got traded for this player, this player, this player. Trade tree ended up the trade tree ended up who traded for Garrett Cole asteroids, So it must be his original. He must be the Astroids m original astro traded for coal and d R. But where VR was coming from? Where he must have been an oil.

I this is much harder than you led us to be. Played a few places as well, but like he’s known as an aura, that’s where he was good and he was pretty rubbish as soon as he left, wasn’t he? Yeah? Was he all right for the Brewers for a bit? Maybe? I think I think he both. Yeah, there was good a scenario, right, and that’s something of someone else. I don’t really remember that these guys playing for this team they were traded for me.

VR and Ghost were both in the miners when they were part of this trade that hadn’t made. Okay, Yeah, I kind of assumed it was the other end of the VR. But no, that doesn’t make any sense because he would have been too old. Yeah, but I don’t know how good he was at this point in.

This current Okay, So hang on. So I’m thinking of Astros, and I’m thinking two thousands to twenty ten starting. Pictures, who starting pictures from back then? Lots of war. I probably wasn’t watching enough baseball back then.

But you say, I’ve definitely heard of this bloke. Oh yes, oh good? Had you heard everyone else? I’ve heard of him, Okay, for the Astros. Didn’t like. It was a decade he was with, but that was probably before I started following the sport.

I remember him more as a Philly, which is the team he got traded to yeah that day and Cliff Lee and cold Hammill’s and then he ended his career. Yeah, well he went to the Rangers after completely underrestimating his free agency value and unfortunately ended his career with the Colorado Rockies, which was my final clue for you. Yes, I don’t know if I remember, because I think he was still with the Astros for three or four years after I started following. Mm hmm.

Before Darius gets points of some description, Yeah, you’ve got to lead. How many points is that? Two points? Let’s give him two points? That was four clues, four clues, So. He gets two points, and like somebody needs to write that. I’m going to write this down and then never never remember where it was again.

I think Billy Cock spot wrong. But doenly just two points? Two points? I’m going to and then how you pronounced pretty cock because it’s probably something else, isn’t it not? To a k coach Coch coach coach. Says battal reference coach, Billy Coch coach. Sorry, Billy, by the way, was yeah, I was always Hall of Faint eligible.

In twenty nineteen, he received four vote off the ballot. But I think definitely a Hall of very good player. Well that’s it. I think that’s something that we had on our running.

Stag year, wasn’t it was that one of those years nineteen where they just had like so many guys that like. It was on this year. I probably would have stuck around, but I have a fee that. It’s a lot, a lot more war than I would have thought he would have wrapped up.

But he was very very good for most of that decade with the Astros. So good for him, good for him, and good for everything. Yeah, it’s final shout outs, I guess number one. Gav has produced a brilliant piece of work for the website talking about his trip to the euro Baseball Championship.

I think we were initially going to record with him on this week, which unfortunate didn’t materialize. But I think we’re going to get him on the pop more this year, even if he refuses to acknowledge that fact, and we’re going to definitely get him on soon to talk about that. He had a great time out there. But do go to the website and check out his articles.

Is a Monster is twenty thousand words, but it’s really worth reading. So set around with a cup of tea coffee or something stronger and read through that. It’s really nice bit of work. Also on the website is a new series of twenty twenty six reasons for Optimism.

They’re doing five reasons for optimism for each of the thirty teams in Maation League Baseball. I think some are being produced as we speak for some teams, but in they’re also looking for fans to send in their own sort of submissions to their team. So if you have five you want to send in for your own team for the website, then do contact Gav either via the website form or on Insta or you know, DM the backplips account and we’ll we’ll get to you. So yeah, anything else challenge you define too.

For the Rockies five of the stretch, christ one reason for optimism is this brand new roof where the ball pings off it in different directions. Yes, anyway, Yes, I don’t think we’ve missed any breaking news I’ve been recording, but I’m sure as soon as we and the call it will something will come in. But yeah, thank you guys for listening. Thanks Robin Darius for jumping on with me today.

We will promise to be back with Yeah, sooner than we left it after the last one, We’re going to put a more effort into the poss going forward. So yeah, Rob’s laughing because I always say that, but we are before we are, so yeah, thanks for listening or watching and we will catch you next time. Goodbye. Why.