On this week’s offseason edition of Inside the (Rob) Parker, Rob discusses the Los Angeles Dodgers acquisition of All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker, the New York Mets pivot to infielder Bo Bichette, and why he chose to turn in a highly-controversial blank ballot for the 2026 Pro Baseball Hall of Fame. Later, AM 570 LA Sports Dodgers reporter David Vassegh swings by for a lengthy conversation on all the fallout in Los Angeles and across MLB in light of the Tucker signing.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
From the berkshears to the sound from wherever you live
in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You give
us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop
on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame
voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Come on, I've been covering Major League baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Yeah,
I know, not sounding great, but so much to do,
so little time. On this off season edition of Inside
the Parker. Coming up, we're gonna talk with Dodgers reporter
David Vasse from AM five seventy LA Sports, home of
(00:58):
the Dodgers. We'll talk about the big Kyle Tucker signing.
We'll also talk about Bobushett joining the Mets, and I'll
reveal my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We'll dive into that and much more. Let's go better.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Up to lead off, it's getting.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Rocked to keep them mind. Rob's hot take on.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
The three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one, the.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Dodgers are the Evil Empire.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I've been saying it for years, not just after this
latest signing. And I know a lot of people in
baseball are mad, and they hate the idea that a
team that's won back to back World Series goes out
and sign one of the top free agents gives them
a sixty million dollar contract as deferred money, sixty million
(01:49):
a year, two hundred and forty million dollars.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I just I get it. It looks diabolical.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It feels like it's not fair for the other teams.
But the Dodgers didn't run away with anything last year.
They actually scuffled. They were you know, it was up
and down. I don't, I don't. I don't think there's
anything automatic when it comes to baseball. Yes, they've won,
they shouldn't have. I mean, if you take a real
look at two years ago, the Padres had them dead
(02:17):
to rights and let them off the hook, and they
wind up winning.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
And then they win last year when they shouldn't.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
The Blue Jays had about a million chances to knock
in the winning run and win that World Series, and
they couldn't do it, and they left the door open,
and the Dodgers came back and get a improbable ninth
anning home run from the number nine hitter, Gail Rojas.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, come on, you could do that play.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
We played at a million times and nine hundred and
ninety nine thousand times. He wouldn't, he wouldn't hit a
home run in that spot, but he did and the
Dodgers won. Is just, oh my god, the death of baseball.
I've heard this forever since Andy met Smith was the
first free agent that signed with the Atlanta Braves back
(03:04):
in the seventies. The game will adapt, you know, You'll
see what happens. I don't think that it's the end
of anything or the end of competition. We talk about
it all the time. The other sports have salary caps
and the same teams win. Got to have a smart
general manager, got to have some luck when it comes
to health. There's so many factors that play in. The
(03:28):
Dodgers had a long drought. The Yankees are having a
long drought. They have money. The Mets haven't won a
World Series since nineteen eighty six. They had the second
highest payroll a year ago. Does it really they didn't
make the playoffs? Just think about that. So I'm not
gonna be the sky is falling on the Dodgers free
(03:50):
agency signing of Kyle Tucker. And you know they did
lose a big salary Clayton Kersh are retired. Why shouldn't
they take that money added to something. It's not like
they're adding it on top of Kershaw's money. They're using
that money in some more money to add a player.
I just I don't see this as the end of
(04:10):
the world, not by long stretch.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Number two, the New York Mets.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
They may have missed out on Kyle Tucker, he was
definitely on their radar. They definitely apparently, or I should say, reportedly,
offered him fifty five million. He takes the sixty million
to go to the Dodgers. But the Mets rally and
they have, according to reports, agreed on a three year,
(04:36):
one and twenty six million dollar deal with infield of
bow Bashett.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Bobashett is named after Bo Jackson.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
His dad played with Bo Jackson and loved him as
a player and decided to name his son Bo b Oh.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
But he's going to the Mets.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
This deal includes two opt outs and of course, pending
a physical. The Mets, of course, and the offseason traded
for a second basement Marcus Simeon. So this this looks
like Bobachett is going to wind up playing third base.
They already have Simeon at second, Francisco Lindor at shortstop.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Since Pete A.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Lonso is no longer a first baseman, I guess a
couple of people will platoon at first, but it looks
like it'll be Bouchett at third, Lindor at short and
Simeon at second.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And you know, I don't know this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
This feels weird, like this was like a backup plan.
Did the Mets really need to go after bobashett a
third baseman. He had a really, really good year last
year for the Blue Jays. Obviously they went to the
World Series. He had a big home run in Game
seven of the World Series. So he was an exciting
and a really good player last year. And it's not
(05:58):
a negative, like adding him to your team if you're
the Mets, is a good thing. I'm just not so
sure as if this was on their radar or plan,
But after losing out on the Kyle Tucker sweep States,
the Mets pivoted to Bushet. I'm also wondering if the
Mets are gonna also make a run at Bellinger and
(06:20):
you know, to add to their team. They were also
interested in him. He hasn't signed obviously, he had a
great year with the Yankees. He has some interest. He
has a great glove, plays hits well, did really well
in the Bronx. So this will be interested to see
where Cody Bellinger winds up in free agency as well.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Number three, attention, Baseball Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
My ballot is not n ot a protest ballot.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Some people think it is because I voted for No.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
One on the twenty twenty six Baseball Hall of Fame
ballot zero. And I know people are gonna say, how
could you vote for nobody? You know Omar Vesquel is
on there, Andy pettitt Manny Ramirez, a Rod Tory Hunter,
(07:15):
Andrew Jones, all these guys, and you have not Bob
Carlos beltram And you don't have a vote for anybody. Sorry,
I don't, not even King Felix. A lot of these
guys were very good. We already know the many Ramiro
as he got busted by Baseball like three times after
(07:36):
they changed the rule on performance enhancing drugs. So I
can't do that if he had never gotten busted like
Bonds or Clemens, then I can vote for him. But
he got busted after the fact, so I can't do that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I just think there's a lot of very good players.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Jimmy Rollins very good, Chase Utley very good, Omar vs.
SkELL very good, Andy It very good, Andrew Jones very good.
But this isn't the very good Hall of Fame. It
should be for the best of the best. You shouldn't
have to debate a Hall of Famer, I keep saying it.
(08:15):
If you have to get into a fiery debate with
somebody on whether or not Andrew Jones deserves to be
in the Hall of Fame, it tells you upfront he's
not a Hall of Famer. When I say, Hank Aaron
to you, is there a debate, Tom sever Mariano Rivera,
Ted Williams, Bob Gibson, Dave Winfield. I'm talking about the
(08:42):
greats of the greats. No, there's no debate. That's where
we should be. This place should be for the very special,
not for people who you like who had a very
good career.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
A lot of these guys belong in their teams halls
of fame.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Which is fine, the Yankees are petitives in the monument
park at Yankee Stadium. Deserves to be there. Won five
World Series. I'm not mad at that. Jimmy Rollins, Chase
Utley and Philly I get it.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Tory Hunter.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Another guy with the twins, right Angels, They loved that guy.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Ryan Braun is also on this list.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I haven't mentioned him, but no one on my ballot
deserved the Hall of Fame vote, and so I did
not vote for anybody, and I put in my ballot
as blank.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto,
if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer
or broadcaster, old or new.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Now, let's welcome in David Vasse. He covers the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
For AM five seventy LA Sports in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Dave, welcome to the pot. How are you happy New Year?
My friend?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, Larry David would say you're a little late on
that one, Rob Parker, but happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Well, it's the first time I've talked to you, and
I know it's the sixteenth of January.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Probably the first week is about the real limit.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
But anyway, I appreciate you joining us on a big day,
of course, yesterday for.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
The Los Angeles Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Kyle Tucker in the fold four years, two hundred and
forty million dollars, and everybody else in baseball wants to
close up.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Shop and they hate the Dodgers. What's your response to that.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Yeah, it's so ridiculous, Rob. As you know, baseball is
the one sport that you could have the best player
and still not win. You could have more than the
best player and still not win. The Dodgers were two
outs away from losing the World Series to the Blue Jays, who,
by the way, was a top five pay roll in
(10:59):
Major League based ball last year and will be again
this year. So would the narrative be different if the
Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker if they had lost the World
Series to the Blue Jays, Because they were two outs
away from losing to the Blue Jays, and they were,
you know, one game away from being knocked out in
(11:19):
twenty four to the Padres who couldn't close the deal.
So you know, yeah, they signed Kyle Tucker because their
offense wasn't very good the second half of last year.
Bookie Betts and Taascar Hernandez are thirty three years old
and are coming off their worst offensive seasons, respectively. So
(11:39):
the Dodgers aren't going to just say let's take it
easy on everybody. No, They're trying to improve where they
feel they were deficient last year, even though they were
able to be very fortunate with pitching in defense to
beat the Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Dave, I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I know reaction in MLB America and I know how
baseball works. The Dodgers went from nineteen eighty eight to
twenty twenty without winning.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
The World Series.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The franchise had money, had players, they couldn't win. The
Yankees haven't won since two thousand and nine. The Mets
haven't won since nineteen eighty six. I could go on
and on and on. Having money and all that does
not mean you're automatically going to win. It's the optics
of it, and I get it. The rich get richer,
(12:32):
and the other teams are looking like you know, the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Are just the diabolic the Mets.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
The Mets have been spending like the Dodgers the last
three years. They're just not spending it the right way.
And it was the Mets that came up with this
notion of paying Tucker fifty to fifty five million dollars.
So if the Mets signed Kyle Tucker for fifty five
million dollars a year, is there as much outrage as
there seems to be for the Dodgers going five million
(12:59):
dollars more? It was the Mets, and it's not in
the Mets that haven't been spending it the right way. No.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I get that they steal want Soto from the Yankees,
and guess what, they don't even make the playoffs. Right,
the Yankees are without want Soto and they make the
playoffs and actually tied the Blue Jays for the best
record in.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
The AL Least without their ace, Garret Cole.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I mean, I could go on and on and on,
and they lost in a tiebreaker, but they had the
same exact record. So I totally imagine losing your ace
and one of your top players and still having the
number one record in the AL East with the Blue Jays.
It speaks volumes, and you're right, And then you know,
(13:44):
the talk is I've gotten Texas from friends and people.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Baseball needs a sary cap. Baseball needs a sary cap.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
And I just I look at other sports and I
say to myself, don't the same NBA team For the
most part. We know that Okase, he finally won, but
for a long time, it's basically the same suspects. In
the NFL, you have a salary cap, and it was
always the Patriots and the Chiefs, the same teams. I
(14:11):
don't know if you don't spend money, right, if you
don't have a small GM, does money really factor in
that much as far as winning, were you?
Speaker 4 (14:22):
No? And I hate to break this to everybody. When
the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Mets, the Cubs, the Red
Sox are good, it's the sport. We saw that as
far as the ratings go. When the Dodgers and Yankees
played each other in the World Series for the first
time since nineteen eighty one, we saw the most as
many are saying the greatest World Series we have witnessed
(14:45):
in that seven game series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
And you know what, Yeah, there's parody in the NBA
and nobody cares those finals ratings With Oklahoma City, nobody
cared so the salary cap they have helped give owners
the valuations of their franchises, but nobody seems to care
(15:06):
as much about the NBA Finals or the NBA regular
season when teams like the Knicks, the Lakers, the Celtics
aren't as good.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Getting back to the Dodgers, are they done or now?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Is it taric school Bull the package to steal them
from the Tigers?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I mean, I don't see the Tigers trading school Bull
Robie even with this, you know, huge gap between Boris
and Tigers GM Scott Harris as far as the arbitration
number that they submitted. Now, they have one.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Thing, Dave, real quick before you skip over that that
arbitration number by the Tigers is ridiculous. I think that's
awful low and he's going to get the higher number.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Oh, of course it is, But it's not a foregone
conclusion that it's going to arbitrate. They still have until
the arbitration hearing begins at the end of the month
to try to find some middle ground. What that number
from Scott Boris tells me is not only is he
looking to make Schooble a record breaking arbitration number for
(16:17):
a major league pitcher, which was set by David Price
back in twenty I believe fifteen. But that's a sign
that he's planning on making Schooble the highest paid pitcher
in baseball history. So when people say what does it mean,
it means that Boris is using Schooble to set a
(16:37):
new bar for major league pictures in free agency. But
I still don't believe the Tigers trade him before Opening Day.
I just don't see it unless it does get into arbitration,
and it does, arbitration is contentious. That would be really
dumb of the Tigers to allow it to get there
because they would just create awful feelings and then all
(17:00):
bets are off.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And what people need to know when you go to arbitration,
the Tigers, for the record, are offering a nineteen point
eight bars and Schoolbul are asking for thirty two million,
a huge gap, almost thirteen million.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
And in arbitration you have to.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Go in and basically tell the arbitrate of why school
Bul is not good and it doesn't it's worth amy
right day thirty two million dollars.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
You have to go tear down his statistics, right and Rob.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Come on, you know, Detroit's a big market. The Red
Wings were spending in the early two thousands, the Tigers
were spending there should be no doubt that Schooble would
remain a Tiger for the majority of his career. It's
ridiculous that they're not just paying this guy and trying
to keep him. They've made ridiculous offers, not only with
(17:57):
this arbitration number, but in their very feutile attempt at
an extension number. From what I understand, Uh, it's a
foregun conclusion in my opinion, my opinion that Schooble will
not be with the Tigers beyond this upcoming season, but
that's on the Tigers ownership. He wants to be there.
(18:19):
They should have done a better job of the relationship
with Scooball and Boris uh before this year.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
And I think if the late Mike Gillige, the owner
of the Tigers, were alive, his son Chris is running it,
and it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
If Mike Gillige was still alive, he'd be a Tiger.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I believe that the reason the Tigers got to prominence
and were uh, you know, in the mixed for a
World Series four stretch almost a decade is because they kept.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Justin Verlander, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They paid him and and when you get a guy
like Schooble at the top of your rotation. You just
have to hold on to that guy because he's not
going to allow you to be bad. If he pitches
every fifth day gives you a chance to win, you
won't have a.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Ten game losing streak with schoobl at the top of
your rotation. And this is worth paying for the Dave.
It just is.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Yeah, you're preaching to the choir, and I think everybody
in Detroit agrees. I mean, when you talked about the
haves and have nots, the Tigers are part of the haves.
They're just choosing not to be part of that right now,
no doubt.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
All Right, So on the Dodgers. Anything else we need
to know about the Dodgers? And where does Kyle Tucker
fit in that lineup? Is he in the top four? Well,
what's the lineup or projected lineup do you have?
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Well, I would hope a guy making sixty million dollars
a year is in your top four, right Rob.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I'm assuming, I'm assuming that he's going to be there,
and that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
He hits left as well. You need a guy behind
Otani that hits left as well. And Mookie Bett did
not really do a good job of protecting Otani last year.
So if Mookie Betts has another down year, I don't
see how you can keep them hitting in the two holes.
So you could have a string of lefties, maybe a
mix in Taoscar Hernandez or Will Smith hitting third and
(20:15):
Freeman hitting cleanup if Mookie has another average year. But yeah,
I would imagine Tucker is somewhere in the top four.
So the Dodgers have not only upgraded their outfield offense,
which was a fysmal last year with Michael Conforto not
giving much of anything. Taoscar Hernandez after he's dring is
drawing not the same player after June's. So they've done
(20:37):
two things here. They've upgraded their outfield offense and they've
upgraded their outfield defense because Tucker is a better right
fielder than Taoscar Hernandez. Hernandez now goes back to left field,
and you got Andy po Has in center. So they
accomplished two things here with the signing of Tucker.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Here's the one thing about Kyle Tucker. We all know
as baseball p what a tremendous player he is. He played, uh,
he had a little downstretch with the Cubs. He sat
down for a couple of weeks, came back and obviously
got paid big time sixty million dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
But is he is? He does? He sell tickets and
I'm not trying to down him. I don't know him
as as.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I'm going to do. I run out and buy a
Kyle Tucker jersey? Am I going to the game because
Kyle Tucker's playing?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Is he that guy?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Or he's a lunch pale guy who just gets a
lot who makes a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
No, he's not. He's not a lunch pale guy by
any The way he's been described to me is not
lunch pale. That has not been an adjective. He's really talented.
He's not going to be a leader. He's not going
to be in the forefront of anything.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
That's what I mean.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Okay, Yeah, that's part of the reason. You know, in
some ways, Rob to use an analogy, he may be
the highest paid robin in baseball. I mean, that's the
way to look at it.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And that and that's exactly what I meant when I
said lunch pail, like, you know, not the front man
at all.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
But he's being paid like a front man for sure,
sixty million dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
All right, A man, it's gonna be another interesting baseball season.
And I've said this too before, Like the Dodgers last
year were roughly, you know, a couple outs away from
being a billion dollar bust.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I mean it was close. They really the Blue Jays
had a million series. It really was close.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
They're trying to avoid that. They're trying to you know,
avoid the variables of all that and protecting themselves against
maybe you know, declining Mookie Bets and declining ta Oscar Hernandez.
We'll have to wait and see. I believe it's a
big year for Mookie and Taoscar Hernandez to see where
they're at at age thirty three.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Appreciate the knowledge insight as always, mister Vassay. David vass
covers the Doers for AM five seventy LA Sports and
does a great job.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
We appreciate you, my man.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Thanks Rob.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Until next time, Rob Parker out.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
D can't Gavin.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
This could be an inside of Parker. See you next week.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Same bat time from same Matt station,
From the berkshears to the sound from wherever you live
in MLB America. This is Inside the Parker. You give
us twenty two minutes and we'll give you the scoop
on major League Baseball. Now here's Baseball Hall of Fame
voter number fifty seven, Rob Parker.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Come on, I've been covering Major League baseball for almost
forty years now, in New York, in Cincinnati, in Detroit,
in LA.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
I love this game. Let's go.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Welcome into the podcast. I'm your host, Rob Parker. Yeah,
I know, not sounding great, but so much to do,
so little time. On this off season edition of Inside
the Parker. Coming up, we're gonna talk with Dodgers reporter
David Vasse from AM five seventy LA Sports, home of
(00:58):
the Dodgers. We'll talk about the big Kyle Tucker signing.
We'll also talk about Bobushett joining the Mets, and I'll
reveal my Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
We'll dive into that and much more. Let's go better.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Up to lead off, it's getting.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Rocked to keep them mind. Rob's hot take on.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
The three biggest stories in Major League Baseball. Number one, the.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Dodgers are the Evil Empire.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I've been saying it for years, not just after this
latest signing. And I know a lot of people in
baseball are mad, and they hate the idea that a
team that's won back to back World Series goes out
and sign one of the top free agents gives them
a sixty million dollar contract as deferred money, sixty million
(01:49):
a year, two hundred and forty million dollars.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I just I get it. It looks diabolical.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
It feels like it's not fair for the other teams.
But the Dodgers didn't run away with anything last year.
They actually scuffled. They were you know, it was up
and down. I don't, I don't. I don't think there's
anything automatic when it comes to baseball. Yes, they've won,
they shouldn't have. I mean, if you take a real
look at two years ago, the Padres had them dead
(02:17):
to rights and let them off the hook, and they
wind up winning.
Speaker 3 (02:21):
And then they win last year when they shouldn't.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
The Blue Jays had about a million chances to knock
in the winning run and win that World Series, and
they couldn't do it, and they left the door open,
and the Dodgers came back and get a improbable ninth
anning home run from the number nine hitter, Gail Rojas.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I mean, come on, you could do that play.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
We played at a million times and nine hundred and
ninety nine thousand times. He wouldn't, he wouldn't hit a
home run in that spot, but he did and the
Dodgers won. Is just, oh my god, the death of baseball.
I've heard this forever since Andy met Smith was the
first free agent that signed with the Atlanta Braves back
(03:04):
in the seventies. The game will adapt, you know, You'll
see what happens. I don't think that it's the end
of anything or the end of competition. We talk about
it all the time. The other sports have salary caps
and the same teams win. Got to have a smart
general manager, got to have some luck when it comes
to health. There's so many factors that play in. The
(03:28):
Dodgers had a long drought. The Yankees are having a
long drought. They have money. The Mets haven't won a
World Series since nineteen eighty six. They had the second
highest payroll a year ago. Does it really they didn't
make the playoffs? Just think about that. So I'm not
gonna be the sky is falling on the Dodgers free
(03:50):
agency signing of Kyle Tucker. And you know they did
lose a big salary Clayton Kersh are retired. Why shouldn't
they take that money added to something. It's not like
they're adding it on top of Kershaw's money. They're using
that money in some more money to add a player.
I just I don't see this as the end of
(04:10):
the world, not by long stretch.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Number two, the New York Mets.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
They may have missed out on Kyle Tucker, he was
definitely on their radar. They definitely apparently, or I should say, reportedly,
offered him fifty five million. He takes the sixty million
to go to the Dodgers. But the Mets rally and
they have, according to reports, agreed on a three year,
(04:36):
one and twenty six million dollar deal with infield of
bow Bashett.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Bobashett is named after Bo Jackson.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
His dad played with Bo Jackson and loved him as
a player and decided to name his son Bo b Oh.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
But he's going to the Mets.
Speaker 2 (04:54):
This deal includes two opt outs and of course, pending
a physical. The Mets, of course, and the offseason traded
for a second basement Marcus Simeon. So this this looks
like Bobachett is going to wind up playing third base.
They already have Simeon at second, Francisco Lindor at shortstop.
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Since Pete A.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Lonso is no longer a first baseman, I guess a
couple of people will platoon at first, but it looks
like it'll be Bouchett at third, Lindor at short and
Simeon at second.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
And you know, I don't know this.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
This feels weird, like this was like a backup plan.
Did the Mets really need to go after bobashett a
third baseman. He had a really, really good year last
year for the Blue Jays. Obviously they went to the
World Series. He had a big home run in Game
seven of the World Series. So he was an exciting
and a really good player last year. And it's not
(05:58):
a negative, like adding him to your team if you're
the Mets, is a good thing. I'm just not so
sure as if this was on their radar or plan,
But after losing out on the Kyle Tucker sweep States,
the Mets pivoted to Bushet. I'm also wondering if the
Mets are gonna also make a run at Bellinger and
(06:20):
you know, to add to their team. They were also
interested in him. He hasn't signed obviously, he had a
great year with the Yankees. He has some interest. He
has a great glove, plays hits well, did really well
in the Bronx. So this will be interested to see
where Cody Bellinger winds up in free agency as well.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Number three, attention, Baseball Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
My ballot is not n ot a protest ballot.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
Some people think it is because I voted for No.
Speaker 2 (06:54):
One on the twenty twenty six Baseball Hall of Fame
ballot zero. And I know people are gonna say, how
could you vote for nobody? You know Omar Vesquel is
on there, Andy pettitt Manny Ramirez, a Rod Tory Hunter,
(07:15):
Andrew Jones, all these guys, and you have not Bob
Carlos beltram And you don't have a vote for anybody. Sorry,
I don't, not even King Felix. A lot of these
guys were very good. We already know the many Ramiro
as he got busted by Baseball like three times after
(07:36):
they changed the rule on performance enhancing drugs. So I
can't do that if he had never gotten busted like
Bonds or Clemens, then I can vote for him. But
he got busted after the fact, so I can't do that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I just think there's a lot of very good players.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Jimmy Rollins very good, Chase Utley very good, Omar vs.
SkELL very good, Andy It very good, Andrew Jones very good.
But this isn't the very good Hall of Fame. It
should be for the best of the best. You shouldn't
have to debate a Hall of Famer, I keep saying it.
(08:15):
If you have to get into a fiery debate with
somebody on whether or not Andrew Jones deserves to be
in the Hall of Fame, it tells you upfront he's
not a Hall of Famer. When I say, Hank Aaron
to you, is there a debate, Tom sever Mariano Rivera,
Ted Williams, Bob Gibson, Dave Winfield. I'm talking about the
(08:42):
greats of the greats. No, there's no debate. That's where
we should be. This place should be for the very special,
not for people who you like who had a very
good career.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
A lot of these guys belong in their teams halls
of fame.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Which is fine, the Yankees are petitives in the monument
park at Yankee Stadium. Deserves to be there. Won five
World Series. I'm not mad at that. Jimmy Rollins, Chase
Utley and Philly I get it.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Tory Hunter.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Another guy with the twins, right Angels, They loved that guy.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
Ryan Braun is also on this list.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
I haven't mentioned him, but no one on my ballot
deserved the Hall of Fame vote, and so I did
not vote for anybody, and I put in my ballot
as blank.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
When Rob was a newspaper columnist, he lived by this motto,
if I'm writing, I'm ripping. Let's bring in a writer
or broadcaster, old or new.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
Now, let's welcome in David Vasse. He covers the Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
For AM five seventy LA Sports in Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Dave, welcome to the pot. How are you happy New Year?
My friend?
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Yeah, Larry David would say you're a little late on
that one, Rob Parker, but happy New Year.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Well, it's the first time I've talked to you, and
I know it's the sixteenth of January.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Probably the first week is about the real limit.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
But anyway, I appreciate you joining us on a big day,
of course, yesterday for.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
The Los Angeles Dodgers.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Kyle Tucker in the fold four years, two hundred and
forty million dollars, and everybody else in baseball wants to
close up.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Shop and they hate the Dodgers. What's your response to that.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Yeah, it's so ridiculous, Rob. As you know, baseball is
the one sport that you could have the best player
and still not win. You could have more than the
best player and still not win. The Dodgers were two
outs away from losing the World Series to the Blue Jays, who,
by the way, was a top five pay roll in
(10:59):
Major League based ball last year and will be again
this year. So would the narrative be different if the
Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker if they had lost the World
Series to the Blue Jays, Because they were two outs
away from losing to the Blue Jays, and they were,
you know, one game away from being knocked out in
(11:19):
twenty four to the Padres who couldn't close the deal.
So you know, yeah, they signed Kyle Tucker because their
offense wasn't very good the second half of last year.
Bookie Betts and Taascar Hernandez are thirty three years old
and are coming off their worst offensive seasons, respectively. So
(11:39):
the Dodgers aren't going to just say let's take it
easy on everybody. No, They're trying to improve where they
feel they were deficient last year, even though they were
able to be very fortunate with pitching in defense to
beat the Blue Jays.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Dave, I'm with you.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
I know reaction in MLB America and I know how
baseball works. The Dodgers went from nineteen eighty eight to
twenty twenty without winning.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
The World Series.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
The franchise had money, had players, they couldn't win. The
Yankees haven't won since two thousand and nine. The Mets
haven't won since nineteen eighty six. I could go on
and on and on. Having money and all that does
not mean you're automatically going to win. It's the optics
of it, and I get it. The rich get richer,
(12:32):
and the other teams are looking like you know, the Dodgers.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Are just the diabolic the Mets.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
The Mets have been spending like the Dodgers the last
three years. They're just not spending it the right way.
And it was the Mets that came up with this
notion of paying Tucker fifty to fifty five million dollars.
So if the Mets signed Kyle Tucker for fifty five
million dollars a year, is there as much outrage as
there seems to be for the Dodgers going five million
(12:59):
dollars more? It was the Mets, and it's not in
the Mets that haven't been spending it the right way. No.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
I get that they steal want Soto from the Yankees,
and guess what, they don't even make the playoffs. Right,
the Yankees are without want Soto and they make the
playoffs and actually tied the Blue Jays for the best
record in.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
The AL Least without their ace, Garret Cole.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
I mean, I could go on and on and on,
and they lost in a tiebreaker, but they had the
same exact record. So I totally imagine losing your ace
and one of your top players and still having the
number one record in the AL East with the Blue Jays.
It speaks volumes, and you're right, And then you know,
(13:44):
the talk is I've gotten Texas from friends and people.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Baseball needs a sary cap. Baseball needs a sary cap.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
And I just I look at other sports and I
say to myself, don't the same NBA team For the
most part. We know that Okase, he finally won, but
for a long time, it's basically the same suspects. In
the NFL, you have a salary cap, and it was
always the Patriots and the Chiefs, the same teams. I
(14:11):
don't know if you don't spend money, right, if you
don't have a small GM, does money really factor in
that much as far as winning, were you?
Speaker 4 (14:22):
No? And I hate to break this to everybody. When
the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Mets, the Cubs, the Red
Sox are good, it's the sport. We saw that as
far as the ratings go. When the Dodgers and Yankees
played each other in the World Series for the first
time since nineteen eighty one, we saw the most as
many are saying the greatest World Series we have witnessed
(14:45):
in that seven game series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays.
And you know what, Yeah, there's parody in the NBA
and nobody cares those finals ratings With Oklahoma City, nobody
cared so the salary cap they have helped give owners
the valuations of their franchises, but nobody seems to care
(15:06):
as much about the NBA Finals or the NBA regular
season when teams like the Knicks, the Lakers, the Celtics
aren't as good.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Getting back to the Dodgers, are they done or now?
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Is it taric school Bull the package to steal them
from the Tigers?
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I mean, I don't see the Tigers trading school Bull
Robie even with this, you know, huge gap between Boris
and Tigers GM Scott Harris as far as the arbitration
number that they submitted. Now, they have one.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Thing, Dave, real quick before you skip over that that
arbitration number by the Tigers is ridiculous. I think that's
awful low and he's going to get the higher number.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
Oh, of course it is, But it's not a foregone
conclusion that it's going to arbitrate. They still have until
the arbitration hearing begins at the end of the month
to try to find some middle ground. What that number
from Scott Boris tells me is not only is he
looking to make Schooble a record breaking arbitration number for
(16:17):
a major league pitcher, which was set by David Price
back in twenty I believe fifteen. But that's a sign
that he's planning on making Schooble the highest paid pitcher
in baseball history. So when people say what does it mean,
it means that Boris is using Schooble to set a
(16:37):
new bar for major league pictures in free agency. But
I still don't believe the Tigers trade him before Opening Day.
I just don't see it unless it does get into arbitration,
and it does, arbitration is contentious. That would be really
dumb of the Tigers to allow it to get there
because they would just create awful feelings and then all
(17:00):
bets are off.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And what people need to know when you go to arbitration,
the Tigers, for the record, are offering a nineteen point
eight bars and Schoolbul are asking for thirty two million,
a huge gap, almost thirteen million.
Speaker 3 (17:16):
And in arbitration you have to.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
Go in and basically tell the arbitrate of why school
Bul is not good and it doesn't it's worth amy
right day thirty two million dollars.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
You have to go tear down his statistics, right and Rob.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Come on, you know, Detroit's a big market. The Red
Wings were spending in the early two thousands, the Tigers
were spending there should be no doubt that Schooble would
remain a Tiger for the majority of his career. It's
ridiculous that they're not just paying this guy and trying
to keep him. They've made ridiculous offers, not only with
(17:57):
this arbitration number, but in their very feutile attempt at
an extension number. From what I understand, Uh, it's a
foregun conclusion in my opinion, my opinion that Schooble will
not be with the Tigers beyond this upcoming season, but
that's on the Tigers ownership. He wants to be there.
(18:19):
They should have done a better job of the relationship
with Scooball and Boris uh before this year.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
And I think if the late Mike Gillige, the owner
of the Tigers, were alive, his son Chris is running it,
and it's not the same.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
If Mike Gillige was still alive, he'd be a Tiger.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
I believe that the reason the Tigers got to prominence
and were uh, you know, in the mixed for a
World Series four stretch almost a decade is because they kept.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Justin Verlander, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They paid him and and when you get a guy
like Schooble at the top of your rotation. You just
have to hold on to that guy because he's not
going to allow you to be bad. If he pitches
every fifth day gives you a chance to win, you
won't have a.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
Ten game losing streak with schoobl at the top of
your rotation. And this is worth paying for the Dave.
It just is.
Speaker 4 (19:13):
Yeah, you're preaching to the choir, and I think everybody
in Detroit agrees. I mean, when you talked about the
haves and have nots, the Tigers are part of the haves.
They're just choosing not to be part of that right now,
no doubt.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
All Right, So on the Dodgers. Anything else we need
to know about the Dodgers? And where does Kyle Tucker
fit in that lineup? Is he in the top four? Well,
what's the lineup or projected lineup do you have?
Speaker 4 (19:42):
Well, I would hope a guy making sixty million dollars
a year is in your top four, right Rob.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I'm assuming, I'm assuming that he's going to be there,
and that's what I'm thinking.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
He hits left as well. You need a guy behind
Otani that hits left as well. And Mookie Bett did
not really do a good job of protecting Otani last year.
So if Mookie Betts has another down year, I don't
see how you can keep them hitting in the two holes.
So you could have a string of lefties, maybe a
mix in Taoscar Hernandez or Will Smith hitting third and
(20:15):
Freeman hitting cleanup if Mookie has another average year. But yeah,
I would imagine Tucker is somewhere in the top four.
So the Dodgers have not only upgraded their outfield offense,
which was a fysmal last year with Michael Conforto not
giving much of anything. Taoscar Hernandez after he's dring is
drawing not the same player after June's. So they've done
(20:37):
two things here. They've upgraded their outfield offense and they've
upgraded their outfield defense because Tucker is a better right
fielder than Taoscar Hernandez. Hernandez now goes back to left field,
and you got Andy po Has in center. So they
accomplished two things here with the signing of Tucker.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
Here's the one thing about Kyle Tucker. We all know
as baseball p what a tremendous player he is. He played, uh,
he had a little downstretch with the Cubs. He sat
down for a couple of weeks, came back and obviously
got paid big time sixty million dollars a year.
Speaker 3 (21:13):
But is he is? He does? He sell tickets and
I'm not trying to down him. I don't know him
as as.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
I'm going to do. I run out and buy a
Kyle Tucker jersey? Am I going to the game because
Kyle Tucker's playing?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
Is he that guy?
Speaker 2 (21:29):
Or he's a lunch pale guy who just gets a
lot who makes a lot of money.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
No, he's not. He's not a lunch pale guy by
any The way he's been described to me is not
lunch pale. That has not been an adjective. He's really talented.
He's not going to be a leader. He's not going
to be in the forefront of anything.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
That's what I mean.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
Okay, Yeah, that's part of the reason. You know, in
some ways, Rob to use an analogy, he may be
the highest paid robin in baseball. I mean, that's the
way to look at it.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And that and that's exactly what I meant when I
said lunch pail, like, you know, not the front man
at all.
Speaker 3 (22:06):
But he's being paid like a front man for sure,
sixty million dollars.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
All right, A man, it's gonna be another interesting baseball season.
And I've said this too before, Like the Dodgers last
year were roughly, you know, a couple outs away from
being a billion dollar bust.
Speaker 3 (22:26):
I mean it was close. They really the Blue Jays
had a million series. It really was close.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
They're trying to avoid that. They're trying to you know,
avoid the variables of all that and protecting themselves against
maybe you know, declining Mookie Bets and declining ta Oscar Hernandez.
We'll have to wait and see. I believe it's a
big year for Mookie and Taoscar Hernandez to see where
they're at at age thirty three.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
No doubt.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
Appreciate the knowledge insight as always, mister Vassay. David vass
covers the Doers for AM five seventy LA Sports and
does a great job.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
We appreciate you, my man.
Speaker 4 (23:06):
Thanks Rob.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
In the words of New York TV legend the late
Bill Jorgensen, thanking you for your time this time.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Until next time, Rob Parker out.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
D can't Gavin.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
This could be an inside of Parker. See you next week.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Same bat time from same Matt station,
Host
Rob Parker
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