November 18, 2025 • 39 mins
Danny Graves and C. Trent Rosecrans talk free agent scenarios for the Cincinnati Reds: dream signings, realistic matches and sleepers to look out for. Drop in your prospect questions for Baseball America's Editor-In-Chief JJ Cooper in the comments and on X @RiverfrontPod. JJ joins later this week!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hey, once again, Welcome to River Riverfront Territory. Man. You'd
think I would have gotten it by now, but I
have yet to get all of this figured out. So
I am curt Rosecrants, a longtime Reds writer for various publications,
currently a senior MLB writer at The Athletic. And he
(00:27):
is Danny Graves, the bane of Mike Miss Mike Maddox's existence.
Do you think like Mike Maddox like thinks all day
like I gave up a home run to Danny Graves.
Every time your name comes up, like somehow I'll be
(00:49):
like Danny Graves. Ah, man, he had a home runner?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well, I can tell you when after it happened, even
a couple of years after it happened, well four to
be exact. I think in two thousand and four he
was a pitching coach for the Astro. They came in
town to play us, and I was talking to Johnny Franco,
were hanging out and got pictures taken together.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Is that the number one and two all time save
leaders in Cincinnati Ruds.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
History At the time it was Yes. Now Coco Cadero is.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
To ye, Yes, I think you're right.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So when I was talking to Johnny Franco. Mike Maddox
was over like not too far, and I kind of
reminded him that, hey, do you remember when I hit
that home run off you? He's like, yes, I remember, Orry,
I remember. So I think pictures, remember when pictures give
up homers to other pictures.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You know, it's just the thing.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I can see that I really do, because it's just
like like, oh, come on, man, I gave you a cookie,
or like, you know, like nobody feels quite right. Well, no,
I would guess that if you hit one, you're you're cool.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, So I gave up Dontrell Willis his first career
home run, and he hit a ton of them. So
I mean that's like, I'm not embarrassed about that.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, I mean he's the hell of an athlete. Yes, yeah,
he raked interesting. Who was the best hitting pitcher you
ever played with?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Besides me, I would say.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Pete Harness was a really good hitter. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, I know he doesn't look very athletic, but the
dude could put the ball in play if he wanted to.
And he's got a couple homers under his belt too.
I can't really think of any off the top of
my head. Like a lot of a lot of our
pictures that I played with, we.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Were all just good bunters.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Like I could bunt, I could really bunt, and we
worked on it so much as far as hitting, Eh,
swing hard, kiss you hit it well.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Don tell that was your first pitch to him? Yeah,
I looked at that was the one one game bottom
of the fifth? Was that? Was that the year you
were starting?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, uh huh.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It was a solo shot, I believe, and it was
in in Miami and Joe Robbie Stadium whatever they called
it back then. But it was a bomb, dude, it
was He hit it so far. It wasn't a wall scraper.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It was legit.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah. Oh that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And I was one out away from a complete game
loss too.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah. Oh man. Yeah, I don't know why. These are
kind of turned into some of my favorite little things.
So I appreciate you indulging me because it is. Uh yeah,
it's fun. So what we're gonna We're gonna talk today.
(04:00):
I kind of thought of it with the start of
free agency, you know, I kind of was just thinking, like, Hey,
who would be a dream signing. Who's so maybe more realistic,
maybe some sleepers. So instead of FMK, we have DRS
and that's a dream signing, a reson realistic signing, and
(04:20):
a sleeper signing. So we're gonna do that, and then
after that we're gonna talk a little prospects. And that's
going to be in response or in anticipation to our
guest on our next pop show, who's gonna be JJ
Cooper of Baseball America and so Jay. Baseball America recently
(04:41):
put out their top ten list for they have all
this the NL Central teams done by now, but they
did last week to the Reds. We kind of chatted
about it a little bit, but what I wanted to
do was kind of, well, first, I would love for
anybody to that has questions for JJ about the Reds
(05:02):
farm system. You can put them in the comments here,
we'll go check them. If it's if you're watching on
YouTube and listening through YouTube, you can do them there,
or you can go on Twitter at Riverfront Territory and
then you are fine there and ask questions and we'll
just figure it out from there. So hopefully, hopefully I
(05:25):
know how to do with all of this again, you know,
just new things each and every day. But I think
we're getting there. We're really getting there, and so yeah,
so it's good. It's actually I'm sorry. It's at Riverfront
Pod Pod Riverfront Pod at Riverfront Pod on Twitter. So
(05:49):
that's what we will do. It's funny. We kind of
did a little pre work about this, and it was
just kind of funny that to do different names that
came up that both of us were talking about and
that we're on both both lists and then some guys
who were a little bit different and uh yeah. So
(06:10):
that's kind of the rundown for today. We're gonna go
to a quick ad right now to uh from one
of our sponsors, and then we will be right back. AJ.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
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Speaker 1 (06:25):
Here.
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Speaker 1 (07:24):
I was like, hey, Danny, I was thinking I texted earlier,
like I was thinking of something about a FMK but
doing it with free agency. You're like, what And it
is an old gay where you like, you have three
people and you either f them, marry them, or kill
them so you can imply what the F is. And
(07:45):
so maybe we'll do that with JJ when he is
here tomorrow or this later this week, which are the
three of us we would be. But anyway, so I
kind of know where they would probably go. I'm getting
killed regardless, So that's fine.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Can I just admit something to you real quick before
we go? When you texted the m F m K game,
I thought it was a player like you know, ce s,
like it was somebody's initials.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I KF Isaiah, pioneer pile, could have been, could have
been there.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, I'm scrambling my brain and I'm like, I don't
have time to look it up because he's gonna think
I looked something up. But I'm just like, h f
m K what So sorry, I wasn't privy to the
this game until today.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah I don't know the game now, but yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah they just went by initials.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah so you know when when you're old, these things happen.
So all right, okay, so let's let's start off. This
is the dream dream like just if all things are
equal and you can get it's almost like a draft
and you have the first pick as opposed to free agency,
where like I love to say, is it ain't free
(09:04):
and the players have agency? So uh, you know what
would be the dream free agent signing for you for
the for the Cincinnati Reds this offseason.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
You know a lot of people would automatically think that
I want a big time free agent pitcher that could
lead to staff.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But that's not even close.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
My dream dream pick is to have Pete Alonso wearing
a Cincinnati Reds uniform, playing first base and hitting the
bomb Bombzilla's galore out of that ballpark. I mean, could
you imagine see Trent now Man. Yeah, what is that
place called?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Not Shade but city is that?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
What is city Field? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
He crushes balls there, and I mean obviously Great American
Ballpark plays a little bit smaller.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Oh, he'd be a fifty.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Homer guy year after year after year. That would be
my dream, uh to have him and he's he's obviously
a great dude. We see his personality and his charisma.
Having him in the clubhouse, Oh, him and Tito would
be like messing with each other all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
I bet. Yeah. I think that's a that's a really
good one. And minus pretty much the same thing Kyle Schwarber,
same thing, right, you know, like imagine Schwarber in this
this uh this ballpark, great clubhouse guy is his reputation
(10:33):
is as one of the best guys uh in for
a clubhouse, huge bat like, you can put him anywhere.
You know, if if Ellie de la Cruz is at
bat and you're worried about Kyle Schwarber behind him, watch out.
And if Ellie de la Cruz is on the basis
(10:54):
and Kyle Schwarber's at the plate, you got to pick
one of them to concentrate on, because there's a lot
and I just I just and pteralize it would be
the same way, right, I mean, the difference is our age,
probably length of contracts that they're looking for, and maybe
that's why I go to Schwarber. I I don't think
(11:14):
that John Middleton's gonna let Kyle Schwarber leave Philadelphia. I
think he will any offer that any other team makes.
I think John Middleton will top it. And it's going
to be very, very, very difficult for Kyle Schwarber to
do anything but return to Philadelphia, where he has beloved
(11:35):
inside the clubhouse. Outside is just a perfect pick. However,
you know, he has said that, you know he's thought
about playing in Cincinnati, and of course he would love
to at some point. I think some of those comments
were a little overstated, and I've talked to Kyle since then.
(11:57):
He was just saying, like, you know, yeah, sure, I'd
love to play there.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It wasn't like a I want to go play for
the Reds next year. It's just like, yeah, if it
lined up, i'd be awesome and it'd be really fun.
And I understand that, Yeah, but I do think like
they could make a compelling case to Kyle Schwarber. And
of course it all depends on what the other offers
(12:22):
are and if they can afford it, and they would
probably have to trade somebody else and move some money
around because Kyle Schwarber is gonna get a lot of money,
but his age is going to restrict those offers. He's
not going to get a lot of He's not going
to get many five year deal offers. I can see
maybe a three year deal max, just because he's thirty
(12:45):
five and you know, coming off a career year. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well, and I think too.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
You mentioned it, John Milton's not going to allow somebody
just to sweep Kyle or away. I would imagine the
Philly faithful would not be happy about that, and Middleton
would have to hear that. But I also believe that
Bryce Harper is going to do everything he can to
help them and write, you know, dude around because you
(13:17):
can't lose a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Well, and and big part of that team's success from
people I've talked to, is the leaderships of Schober and
Harper and that those two guys command respect, but they
also lead well it's not just about the respect that
they feel they're earned, but they give their respect, which
we all know is huge. So yeah, so there is.
(13:42):
And I also said he was thirty five. He'll be
thirty three when the season starts next year. But still
I think it still applies to someone on that side
of thirty with a power calling card. Yeah, you know
that age is not great, you still do things. And
I still think he could be very worth whatever he's
(14:04):
paid for the next three years or so. But after
that is when you get your diminishing returns and your
higher prices.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well, after that, if Middleton signs him to a three
year deal, he'll be thirty six or turning thirty six.
The Reds could take him on a shorter deal after that, right, Yeah,
finish his call at home.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And here's one thing that is very difficult to to
really I don't know quantify, but or at this point
like even planned for, because I don't think that anybody.
And I think we might see a really kind of
slow free agent market because with a lockout looming in
(14:48):
a year, I don't know how many people are going
to be wanting to sign long term contracts in case
there's a massive change in the whole financial structure of
baseball and baseball team.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
So I don't miss those days.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
No, I bet, I bet so. Yeah. I mean, like
I think anybody could go, yeah, oh man, just picture
Kyle Schwarber Pelonzo in that ballpark and you're already like
yeah yeah, and they ft okay.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
So if you would sign more more season tickets if
Schwarber was there too, I bet well, either one really.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, I mean either one's gonna be a draw. Yeah,
you know. I think it's also like that huge. It's
weird because we've only seen this team kind of going
like a real spending spree and free agency once and
that was twenty twenty, before the twenty twenty season, and
(15:48):
we don't know how the fans would react because that
was such a different year. To put it different, yeah,
lightly uh so, yes, that's something that I think will
be interesting. All right, So we've got the the d
out of the way. The r for the d R s.
(16:10):
Are you a racing fan at all? Because I was
like very excited about Like which racing do you watch?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Nascar?
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Oh? Okay, I watch F one, So they have d
r s. I don't remember. But it's like when they
can open up the foil and they go faster and
you can only like do it if you're within a
second of the guy in front of you, and there's
certain areas where you can do it. So it's kind
of like just a it's basically the turbo of like
(16:40):
on Mario Kart, but for F one.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
The real life turbo nice.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, like the real life mushroom that gives you a
little boost. So there's that. Yeah. So I don't even
remember if there's something about the drag or something. I
don't know. It's it's some fancy sign and see stuff,
but yeah, so so or maybe yeah the winrag. Yeah.
(17:08):
But the other part of the thing is is that
after next year they're not going to have it because
they're going to a whole new car and holds through changes.
So anyway, so.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
They're gonna have turboat, They're gonna have the mushroom the
hole race now.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No, just no mushrooms, which is how I like it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Well, yeah, like NASCAR put on restrictor plates years ago,
so that right, they couldn't go.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Too fast, right and so yeah, AnyWho, so realistically, give
me a name? Who would you? Who do you? Can
you see that fits a need for this team? Well?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So, uh, I've said that the bullpen is is a
is a need for this team in the past, recently
as as last week. I think we've talked about that
both on and off air, and it's not necessarily just
a closer, but I think somebody had the back end
that has the ability to close, kind.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Of like when Pegan came in.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I don't think they signed him as a closer last
when he came over, he just turned into that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Guy and very and they thought he was right.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So I think this year Devin Williams could be a
very realistic pick. I know he didn't do very well
in New York. He did finish a lot better than
what he was doing throughout the season, but I know
he doesn't want to be in New York. I bet
he wants to go back to a smaller market team,
and what's what's a better place to play in the
(18:36):
Midwest than right there in Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
And and I mean it's a it's a division he's
familiar with.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yep, yep. You know that could also be not going
to demand a ton of money either.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it's tough. Yeah, I think
that's a really interesting pick. I think it would be
really pick, a really good one, and I think it
would work. You know, I do worry about older pitchers,
(19:10):
you know, especially relievers once they kind of I don't
know if you know about this, but it seems like
a lot of times once relievers start going down that hill,
it's tough to get back up at it.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Oh yeah, I felt it. Yeah, you're right, absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So yeah, so there's that. That's just something I don't know.
I think that's a really interesting pick and one that
could go through guy I was looking at. I think
we kind of thought the same way on this one too,
but with a different guy, and that would be Caleb Ferguson,
(19:48):
the left hander who was with the Pirates a little
bit last year. He's been with the Dodgers, Yankees, Astros, Pirates,
and Mariners finished last year with the Mariners. I think
that that's just a you know, you need a lefty.
Uh if they just and the lefties today or are
not the loogi's, they have to be able to get
(20:09):
out right handers too because of the three batter rule.
And I find that is, you know, that's gonna be
an issue. Finding those guys are hard because really, if
you can get lefties and right he's out, well, you're
gonna be a starter, right typically.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Yeah, And so that is kind of where I was thinking.
I don't know, just a guy, uh yeah, a pretty
good picture. He's done well. He is from like the
Columbus area. It's a high school draft pick by the
Dodgers out of West Jefferson High School, which is over
there by Columbus. You know, he's been just a solid
(20:53):
seven years three six six ERA a strikeout, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And he's.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
He's twenty nine. Yeah, so that's kind of where I
was looking. I mean, he gave up what was his
whip is whip. He walks a little bit more than
I would like, but you know, actually for the season,
it was a really good change. Yeah, I mean he
was down to one point one sixty three, which, after
(21:26):
a couple bouncy years, is probably where he has been.
So again, I was thinking, just just a lefty Caleb Ferguson,
a guy who has experience, you know, is pitched in
the postseason post some postseason shoot each of the last
three years, with the Dodgers in twenty three, with the
(21:47):
Astros in twenty four, and with the Mariners in twenty five.
Also pitched for the Dodgers in the playoffs in eighteen
as a twenty one year old. So that's just a
guy I like with a lefty who does that kind
of thing. I think that's a that's a good peck,
do you?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Totally random?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But uh, Drew Palmerants is interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean he's older obviously, but I mean I feel
like the guy just keeps like catching on to somebody
and pitching pretty decent for them. Yeah, in the Pennant
Races or yeah races, whatever it's called these days.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
No, I think you're right. I think there's a really
interesting part to be seen there. So yeah, we shall see. Okay,
now we're going to go to ours our sleeper signing.
What you got there?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
So here?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I I mentioned this last week on our parent show
on who I think would be a good fit in Cincinnati,
and I say sleeper because he is an older guy,
but he's also got a great history at Great American Ballpark.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I really feel like this is a guy that just
knows how to hit. He hit two seventy to eighty
last year. Possibly he only hit like ten bombs, but
that is a guy that you can count on and
giving you a good at beat every single time in
his career at Great American, he's a two eighty plus
hitter with like twenty bombs in the sixty plus games
(23:23):
that he's played. He has success there. He knows this
this division. Obviously. I think it's a guy that you
could take a chance on it. And it's so almost
like a no lose situation, you know, the leadership in
the clubhouse, a guy that's.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Won in the past.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I mean, and he's gonna be a little bit cheaper
than you can you can think about getting him for
you know.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, well, I really dull. I think that's a that's
an interesting pick. Let me see what I was gonna
I probably should have done this earlier, but cold sent
so yeah, So I I think that's interesting mine. You know,
(24:04):
I kept going to some of those veteran guys and there,
you know, like maybe a maybe a guy like Luke Weaver.
You know, he was here. I know he liked it here.
(24:25):
I know, the Reds kind of he got along with
Derek Johnson. He liked that he could almost fill that
Nick Martinez role. Maybe that is maybe he's a starter,
but we can have him in the relief, in the
relief in the bullpen, and he pitched really well in
(24:47):
twenty twenty four, especially in the postseason, a little less
so last year. Again, you know, I think we both
have guys who didn't have great seasons with the Yankees
this year on our list. So I think that's he's
that's one.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
He's proved that he's could he could close in New
York like he did it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
You mentioned the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
He did it towards the end of that season twenty
twenty four, and he did it very well. And if
you can close there, you can close anywhere.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Yeah. No, I yeah, you're right. I like that pick.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Just this is a matter of like what what's he
going to ask for?
Speaker 3 (25:20):
What's the market gonna right, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And so that's where I'm also like, you know, guys
like this all depends on what it's going to be.
You know, you have some of the other names were
thrown around, right, cel Iglesias, Right, if you want to
keep on the reliever train, you know, in the outfield train,
I'm thinking maybe guys like Rob Refsneider, mike Yastrimsky.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
H.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Here's you know, I've heard some you know, Justin Turner
said he's always wanted to play for for Tito Francona.
He's forty one, really only plays first base, but I
think there's a lot of value there that could be
done as well. And maybe even like a kek Hernandez,
you know, just one of those vibes guys.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yeah, and then when it comes time for the trade deadline,
if you're not in it, you trade him back to
the Dodgers and steal some of their prospects.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Yeah, because they'll take them.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I mean that's yeah, that's the way to go with
with Kiki.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
But I love that.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I'd be great to have him running around that clubhouse.
I'm sure the fans would just adore that.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Dude. Yeah, I know they're doing la again, I don't
and and he's done this thing before where he'll go
somewhere and then just end up in La So now
we get to a little bit of tease for next
the next one. You know, if you want to have
questions for J. J. Cooper of Baseball America, who we're
going to talk to uh later this week and put
(26:52):
them in the comments, or go to Twitter at Riverfront
Pod at Riverfront Pod on Twitter and we'll see those
and we can ask JJ about guys. You know, I
said you a thing yes the other day because we
had talked about Alfredo Duno. That's I just can't. I'm
(27:12):
almost like to like I had this like fascination with
Elie de la Cruz from the first time I heard
about him, and like, I think I've replaced that with
Alfredo Duno. I stood next to him at one of
those games two years ago and I was like, holy moly,
this kid's massive. And he was eighteen, like just just
(27:34):
turned eighteen when I saw him there, and you're like, whoa,
And so as a nineteen year old, all he did
was let's see so again, he's still nineteen. He won't
be twenty until or wait is it the other way around?
Speaker 3 (27:54):
No? Yeah, yeah, yeah, still January. He'll be January.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yeah, he turns twenty. So he is a career slash
line in the minors of a two eighty seven batting average,
a four to twenty five on base and a five
ninety five slugging percentage. And so like last year he
was he was eighteen in the in the Florida State League,
(28:21):
was one of the younger players. Really, he only had
fifteen played against appearances of four hundred and ninety five,
so three percent of his were against younger pitchers. That
means the rest were against pitchers older than him, you know.
And I think he's only had like twenty eight maybe
or something like that all in over his career. So
(28:44):
what did he do last year in the Florida State League.
All he did was lead the league in home runs,
on base percentage, slugging in ops, doubles, walks, extra base hits,
total bases, isolated power, walk to strikeout ratio, second in
batting average and hits and walk percentage fourth and plate
(29:08):
appearances and had the slowest the seventh lowest strikeout percentage
eighteen and eighteen point four percent of guys who qualified, like.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
You might have been better off saying what he didn't
lead in because there would have been less. It seemed like, yes,
he pretty much led everything, like.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
He didn't lead an era, that's about it. It seems
oh my gosh. And and so then like you know,
he was the fourth youngest player in the Arizona Fall
League and had you know, in fifty nine plate appearances
hit two thirteen, three fifty six, two ninety eight. To me, like, again,
(29:51):
it's had on base percentage that gets me. And even
when he was struggling for the ball, you know, he
wasn't getting extra base hits and hitting it for but
to put up a three forty six on base percentage
over there, that's pretty good. And this is a guy
who can steal a base. He had six, had several
(30:12):
stolen bases, he's had triples, he can run for his size.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Well, the short answer to that is a very good
on base percentage. I remember when I was nineteen, and
that's all we tried to do is have a good
on base percentage with off the field stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
You get where I'm going, Like, that's what I'm doing
at nineteen.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Like this guy at nineteen is a child still like
dominating men.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, and so like it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
So the Arizona Fall League just wrapped up, and those
were his regular season numbers and no home runs. Did
not hit a home run in the regular season of
the Arizona Fall League, but first playoff game he hit one.
He hit his first home run and it was one
(31:08):
hundred and twelve point five miles an hour off about
four hundred and forty five feet. That's pretty good. Yeah,
And that was in like the their divisional playoff thing,
and then they had a semi finals game, and in
the semifinal game, in the first ending, he comes up
with two guys on hits one one o two, goes
(31:31):
to center. It's it's pretty good this next time. Yeah,
this that was his wall scraper, because he then hit
another one that went two hundred and fifty six feet
I think, or two hundred and fifty three one oh
seven point six off the bat just to like it
(31:51):
bounced off the batter's eye dead center field. And then
he came up in his third well I don't know
if it was a third played appearance or ap at
or whatever, but in the third one he hits rush
is one one fifty six poll it was one oh
nine one off the bat, I mean, and you watched
(32:12):
the replay of it. I sent it to you, and like,
I mean, everybody knew it, like nobody, it wasn't he
took a second to admire it, and I think everybody
was like, yeah, I'd admire that too if I hit that.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Yeah, as long as you want.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
That was Yeah, that was not in Ron field Er,
uh to left. This was this was a real home run.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
It was. But they counted the same, right, No, you're counted.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
More because it was in the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Oh okay, well I see, okay, you're right, you're right,
but they counted as still can't count as one.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but yours this, yours, this in
the big league, so it's better.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Well, thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Hell, I have no home runs, so I have no
hits in the big leagues. And like quite honestly, like
I know, I wouldn't like if if I if my
bat touched the ball, it would be.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Luck swing heart in case you hit it. That's that's
what we did.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, it's gonna be like Homer Simpson with Wonder Boy
and just closing your eyes and anyway, all right, so
who are you? Who are you thinking about? Asking JJ
about so uh, I know.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
We talked about this before we came on, and I
just saw the list. It's actually six. I thought it
was seven, but six, Uh, number six prospect Chase Petty.
Heard so many good things about this kid, and like
just waiting for him to get his opportunity to stick
at the big league level. And I just want to
(33:56):
ask JJ, like what what his thoughts are and how
soon he's gonna get this chance.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Because yeah, we've seen him up here a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, but it's like everybody's like, why can't he
come back?
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Where's Chase Petty?
Speaker 2 (34:09):
When when is he gonna get a chance to really stick?
That's what I want to know.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, And and you know that he is still number
six on that on this list, which is which is
saying something and you you know, and it's probably because
I would guess if you have him as your sixth Beth,
you think he can be a starter. And that's probably
what it is. And he's had kind of some weird
(34:34):
ups and downs. His twenty twenty if I wasn't great
or and this twenty four wasn't either, But so we'll see,
and uh, I'll give you one little story though, like
I wanted to switch his number this year because I
always give Rick Stow like grief about the numbers that
he gives out and everything. And you know, there's nothing,
(34:55):
there's no time honored tradition in Cincinnati Reds Baseball other
than like giving the Stow's crap. I mean, like every
generation has done this, from you know, Frank Robinson on
down right, there has been a Stow to pick on.
(35:15):
And for me, it's joking with Rick about like I
can't believe you gave this guy, you know, how did
you give uh, you know, somebody's number away Danny Graves
this number? I mean, geez, no respect for Danny. And
he's like, ah, they you know, all these coaches and
these tired numbers, and he gets really upset, and it's
(35:37):
just so much fun. How would would you like if
I took a letter off your keyboard?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Huh uh wait? So did you really say something to him? Oh?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Yeah, yeah, Oh I say it all the time. Like
every every guy that gets like comes in, it's like, man,
I can't believe you did Jamier Candelaria like that, like
you just give away his number. A new guy comes in, uh,
And so like Sheldon does it too, Like Mark Sheldon
and I, we both do it and we both find
it very funny. So yeah, so there's that. But where
(36:11):
was I going with this? Because I was like, oh, man,
I can't believe you give Ariste he's a keynotes number
to Li de la Cruz. But we all kind of
got it.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Well now Tyler Callahan has.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Yeah, yeah, man, tough kid. Tough tough kid. So oh
what I was going to say is like I was like,
you know, and this was earlier in the seasons, like
you really need to go, especially if you guys are
going to be in the speedway game. If Chase Petty's up,
he's got to have like forty three. I was like
(36:45):
Diaz's old number. I mean, but like when I said
it the first time, it was before dis Is, it
was Diaz's old number. It was still DS's and I
was like, man, you guys need to change it. If
you guys get rid of DS, you can change it
in time. So I am thing that when we show
up next year, goodyear, Chase will be number forty three.
(37:08):
He'll be he'll be right next to Ellie Da la Cruz. Basically,
he has to, like.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
There's no other number that he should even be allowed
to think of, that should be the only one.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Yeah. So I just thought it would be really funny
if it was in the speedway game, and it would
have been like dude like fanatics would have loved that
because they could have sold a ton of those, like
Reds jerseys that are Petty with Petty's number on it.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Yes, and and.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
The whole Petty family, Richard Kyle, all of them would
have worn a Red's Petty jersey.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Sure, yeah, I think I've read that. Have I read
that Dale Earnheart or is it Dale Earnhardt Junior who's
a Reds fan?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Maybe I don't know, so anyway, is he okay?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
I think I've read that, so I don't know. Well, anyway,
I thought we were gonna get a little tight and
be a little tighter today, but I wandered, as I
am wont to. So again, thanks for joining us. I'm
c turn Rosecrans of the Athletic. He is Danny Graves
of two big league home runs, fame, Red's Hall of Famer,
(38:21):
all the rest. If you know. If if you like this,
please let it, let us know. If you have any questions,
please let us know. We'll read the comments, et cetera.
On YouTube. It's also you know everywhere else would get podcasts,
So please subscribe to Reverfront Territory on YouTube and wherever
you get your podcasts. You know, share it with your
friends if if you want read.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
It not they want, they should, they should should, yes.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
And hopefully you're doing it to people you like. Uh
so that's good and it's not like, oh man, I
hate them. They got to listen to this, so share, review,
be nice, some sensitive, give us live stars, and you know,
say something nice. We'll say something nice to you. Riverfront
Territory is a part of the Foul Territory Network, so
(39:08):
we will see you again later this week and we
will have JJ Cooper. Thank you for listening, watching, doing whatever,
and thank you Danny for joining. Thank you
Hey, once again, Welcome to River Riverfront Territory. Man. You'd
think I would have gotten it by now, but I
have yet to get all of this figured out. So
I am curt Rosecrants, a longtime Reds writer for various publications,
currently a senior MLB writer at The Athletic. And he
(00:27):
is Danny Graves, the bane of Mike Miss Mike Maddox's existence.
Do you think like Mike Maddox like thinks all day
like I gave up a home run to Danny Graves.
Every time your name comes up, like somehow I'll be
(00:49):
like Danny Graves. Ah, man, he had a home runner?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Well, I can tell you when after it happened, even
a couple of years after it happened, well four to
be exact. I think in two thousand and four he
was a pitching coach for the Astro. They came in
town to play us, and I was talking to Johnny Franco,
were hanging out and got pictures taken together.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Is that the number one and two all time save
leaders in Cincinnati Ruds.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
History At the time it was Yes. Now Coco Cadero is.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
To ye, Yes, I think you're right.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
So when I was talking to Johnny Franco. Mike Maddox
was over like not too far, and I kind of
reminded him that, hey, do you remember when I hit
that home run off you? He's like, yes, I remember, Orry,
I remember. So I think pictures, remember when pictures give
up homers to other pictures.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
You know, it's just the thing.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
I can see that I really do, because it's just
like like, oh, come on, man, I gave you a cookie,
or like, you know, like nobody feels quite right. Well, no,
I would guess that if you hit one, you're you're cool.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, So I gave up Dontrell Willis his first career
home run, and he hit a ton of them. So
I mean that's like, I'm not embarrassed about that.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
Yeah, I mean he's the hell of an athlete. Yes, yeah,
he raked interesting. Who was the best hitting pitcher you
ever played with?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Besides me, I would say.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Pete Harness was a really good hitter. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Yeah, I know he doesn't look very athletic, but the
dude could put the ball in play if he wanted to.
And he's got a couple homers under his belt too.
I can't really think of any off the top of
my head. Like a lot of a lot of our
pictures that I played with, we.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
Were all just good bunters.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Like I could bunt, I could really bunt, and we
worked on it so much as far as hitting, Eh,
swing hard, kiss you hit it well.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Don tell that was your first pitch to him? Yeah,
I looked at that was the one one game bottom
of the fifth? Was that? Was that the year you
were starting?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yes?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Yeah, uh huh.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
It was a solo shot, I believe, and it was
in in Miami and Joe Robbie Stadium whatever they called
it back then. But it was a bomb, dude, it
was He hit it so far. It wasn't a wall scraper.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
It was legit.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah. Oh that's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
And I was one out away from a complete game
loss too.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yeah. Oh man. Yeah, I don't know why. These are
kind of turned into some of my favorite little things.
So I appreciate you indulging me because it is. Uh yeah,
it's fun. So what we're gonna We're gonna talk today.
(04:00):
I kind of thought of it with the start of
free agency, you know, I kind of was just thinking, like, Hey,
who would be a dream signing. Who's so maybe more realistic,
maybe some sleepers. So instead of FMK, we have DRS
and that's a dream signing, a reson realistic signing, and
(04:20):
a sleeper signing. So we're gonna do that, and then
after that we're gonna talk a little prospects. And that's
going to be in response or in anticipation to our
guest on our next pop show, who's gonna be JJ
Cooper of Baseball America and so Jay. Baseball America recently
(04:41):
put out their top ten list for they have all
this the NL Central teams done by now, but they
did last week to the Reds. We kind of chatted
about it a little bit, but what I wanted to
do was kind of, well, first, I would love for
anybody to that has questions for JJ about the Reds
(05:02):
farm system. You can put them in the comments here,
we'll go check them. If it's if you're watching on
YouTube and listening through YouTube, you can do them there,
or you can go on Twitter at Riverfront Territory and
then you are fine there and ask questions and we'll
just figure it out from there. So hopefully, hopefully I
(05:25):
know how to do with all of this again, you know,
just new things each and every day. But I think
we're getting there. We're really getting there, and so yeah,
so it's good. It's actually I'm sorry. It's at Riverfront
Pod Pod Riverfront Pod at Riverfront Pod on Twitter. So
(05:49):
that's what we will do. It's funny. We kind of
did a little pre work about this, and it was
just kind of funny that to do different names that
came up that both of us were talking about and
that we're on both both lists and then some guys
who were a little bit different and uh yeah. So
(06:10):
that's kind of the rundown for today. We're gonna go
to a quick ad right now to uh from one
of our sponsors, and then we will be right back. AJ.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
We're going to do things a little bit differently.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
Here.
Speaker 4 (06:26):
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They're stretchy, they're comfortable, they're fashionable. They're everything I look
for in a gene and now I have an extra
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Speaker 6 (07:03):
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Speaker 1 (07:24):
I was like, hey, Danny, I was thinking I texted earlier,
like I was thinking of something about a FMK but
doing it with free agency. You're like, what And it
is an old gay where you like, you have three
people and you either f them, marry them, or kill
them so you can imply what the F is. And
(07:45):
so maybe we'll do that with JJ when he is
here tomorrow or this later this week, which are the
three of us we would be. But anyway, so I
kind of know where they would probably go. I'm getting
killed regardless, So that's fine.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Can I just admit something to you real quick before
we go? When you texted the m F m K game,
I thought it was a player like you know, ce s,
like it was somebody's initials.
Speaker 1 (08:17):
I KF Isaiah, pioneer pile, could have been, could have
been there.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
Yeah, I'm scrambling my brain and I'm like, I don't
have time to look it up because he's gonna think
I looked something up. But I'm just like, h f
m K what So sorry, I wasn't privy to the
this game until today.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah I don't know the game now, but yeah yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Yeah they just went by initials.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yeah so you know when when you're old, these things happen.
So all right, okay, so let's let's start off. This
is the dream dream like just if all things are
equal and you can get it's almost like a draft
and you have the first pick as opposed to free agency,
where like I love to say, is it ain't free
(09:04):
and the players have agency? So uh, you know what
would be the dream free agent signing for you for
the for the Cincinnati Reds this offseason.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
You know a lot of people would automatically think that
I want a big time free agent pitcher that could
lead to staff.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But that's not even close.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
My dream dream pick is to have Pete Alonso wearing
a Cincinnati Reds uniform, playing first base and hitting the
bomb Bombzilla's galore out of that ballpark. I mean, could
you imagine see Trent now Man. Yeah, what is that
place called?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Not Shade but city is that?
Speaker 1 (09:43):
What is city Field? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
He crushes balls there, and I mean obviously Great American
Ballpark plays a little bit smaller.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Oh, he'd be a fifty.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Homer guy year after year after year. That would be
my dream, uh to have him and he's he's obviously
a great dude. We see his personality and his charisma.
Having him in the clubhouse, Oh, him and Tito would
be like messing with each other all the time.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
I bet. Yeah. I think that's a that's a really
good one. And minus pretty much the same thing Kyle Schwarber,
same thing, right, you know, like imagine Schwarber in this
this uh this ballpark, great clubhouse guy is his reputation
(10:33):
is as one of the best guys uh in for
a clubhouse, huge bat like, you can put him anywhere.
You know, if if Ellie de la Cruz is at
bat and you're worried about Kyle Schwarber behind him, watch out.
And if Ellie de la Cruz is on the basis
(10:54):
and Kyle Schwarber's at the plate, you got to pick
one of them to concentrate on, because there's a lot
and I just I just and pteralize it would be
the same way, right, I mean, the difference is our age,
probably length of contracts that they're looking for, and maybe
that's why I go to Schwarber. I I don't think
(11:14):
that John Middleton's gonna let Kyle Schwarber leave Philadelphia. I
think he will any offer that any other team makes.
I think John Middleton will top it. And it's going
to be very, very, very difficult for Kyle Schwarber to
do anything but return to Philadelphia, where he has beloved
(11:35):
inside the clubhouse. Outside is just a perfect pick. However,
you know, he has said that, you know he's thought
about playing in Cincinnati, and of course he would love
to at some point. I think some of those comments
were a little overstated, and I've talked to Kyle since then.
(11:57):
He was just saying, like, you know, yeah, sure, I'd
love to play there.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
You know.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
It wasn't like a I want to go play for
the Reds next year. It's just like, yeah, if it
lined up, i'd be awesome and it'd be really fun.
And I understand that, Yeah, but I do think like
they could make a compelling case to Kyle Schwarber. And
of course it all depends on what the other offers
(12:22):
are and if they can afford it, and they would
probably have to trade somebody else and move some money
around because Kyle Schwarber is gonna get a lot of money,
but his age is going to restrict those offers. He's
not going to get a lot of He's not going
to get many five year deal offers. I can see
maybe a three year deal max, just because he's thirty
(12:45):
five and you know, coming off a career year. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well, and I think too.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
You mentioned it, John Milton's not going to allow somebody
just to sweep Kyle or away. I would imagine the
Philly faithful would not be happy about that, and Middleton
would have to hear that. But I also believe that
Bryce Harper is going to do everything he can to
help them and write, you know, dude around because you
(13:17):
can't lose a guy like that.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Well, and and big part of that team's success from
people I've talked to, is the leaderships of Schober and
Harper and that those two guys command respect, but they
also lead well it's not just about the respect that
they feel they're earned, but they give their respect, which
we all know is huge. So yeah, so there is.
(13:42):
And I also said he was thirty five. He'll be
thirty three when the season starts next year. But still
I think it still applies to someone on that side
of thirty with a power calling card. Yeah, you know
that age is not great, you still do things. And
I still think he could be very worth whatever he's
(14:04):
paid for the next three years or so. But after
that is when you get your diminishing returns and your
higher prices.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Well, after that, if Middleton signs him to a three
year deal, he'll be thirty six or turning thirty six.
The Reds could take him on a shorter deal after that, right, Yeah,
finish his call at home.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
And here's one thing that is very difficult to to
really I don't know quantify, but or at this point
like even planned for, because I don't think that anybody.
And I think we might see a really kind of
slow free agent market because with a lockout looming in
(14:48):
a year, I don't know how many people are going
to be wanting to sign long term contracts in case
there's a massive change in the whole financial structure of
baseball and baseball team.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
So I don't miss those days.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
No, I bet, I bet so. Yeah. I mean, like
I think anybody could go, yeah, oh man, just picture
Kyle Schwarber Pelonzo in that ballpark and you're already like
yeah yeah, and they ft okay.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
So if you would sign more more season tickets if
Schwarber was there too, I bet well, either one really.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Yeah, I mean either one's gonna be a draw. Yeah,
you know. I think it's also like that huge. It's
weird because we've only seen this team kind of going
like a real spending spree and free agency once and
that was twenty twenty, before the twenty twenty season, and
(15:48):
we don't know how the fans would react because that
was such a different year. To put it different, yeah,
lightly uh so, yes, that's something that I think will
be interesting. All right, So we've got the the d
out of the way. The r for the d R s.
(16:10):
Are you a racing fan at all? Because I was
like very excited about Like which racing do you watch?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Nascar?
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Oh? Okay, I watch F one, So they have d
r s. I don't remember. But it's like when they
can open up the foil and they go faster and
you can only like do it if you're within a
second of the guy in front of you, and there's
certain areas where you can do it. So it's kind
of like just a it's basically the turbo of like
(16:40):
on Mario Kart, but for F one.
Speaker 3 (16:43):
The real life turbo nice.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Yeah, like the real life mushroom that gives you a
little boost. So there's that. Yeah. So I don't even
remember if there's something about the drag or something. I
don't know. It's it's some fancy sign and see stuff,
but yeah, so so or maybe yeah the winrag. Yeah.
(17:08):
But the other part of the thing is is that
after next year they're not going to have it because
they're going to a whole new car and holds through changes.
So anyway, so.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
They're gonna have turboat, They're gonna have the mushroom the
hole race now.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
No, just no mushrooms, which is how I like it.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Well, yeah, like NASCAR put on restrictor plates years ago,
so that right, they couldn't go.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Too fast, right and so yeah, AnyWho, so realistically, give
me a name? Who would you? Who do you? Can
you see that fits a need for this team? Well?
Speaker 2 (17:44):
So, uh, I've said that the bullpen is is a
is a need for this team in the past, recently
as as last week. I think we've talked about that
both on and off air, and it's not necessarily just
a closer, but I think somebody had the back end
that has the ability to close, kind.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Of like when Pegan came in.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
I don't think they signed him as a closer last
when he came over, he just turned into that.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Guy and very and they thought he was right.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
So I think this year Devin Williams could be a
very realistic pick. I know he didn't do very well
in New York. He did finish a lot better than
what he was doing throughout the season, but I know
he doesn't want to be in New York. I bet
he wants to go back to a smaller market team,
and what's what's a better place to play in the
(18:36):
Midwest than right there in Cincinnati.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
And and I mean it's a it's a division he's
familiar with.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
Yep, yep. You know that could also be not going
to demand a ton of money either.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah, it's tough. Yeah, I think
that's a really interesting pick. I think it would be
really pick, a really good one, and I think it
would work. You know, I do worry about older pitchers,
(19:10):
you know, especially relievers once they kind of I don't
know if you know about this, but it seems like
a lot of times once relievers start going down that hill,
it's tough to get back up at it.
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Oh yeah, I felt it. Yeah, you're right, absolutely right.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
So yeah, so there's that. That's just something I don't know.
I think that's a really interesting pick and one that
could go through guy I was looking at. I think
we kind of thought the same way on this one too,
but with a different guy, and that would be Caleb Ferguson,
(19:48):
the left hander who was with the Pirates a little
bit last year. He's been with the Dodgers, Yankees, Astros, Pirates,
and Mariners finished last year with the Mariners. I think
that that's just a you know, you need a lefty.
Uh if they just and the lefties today or are
not the loogi's, they have to be able to get
(20:09):
out right handers too because of the three batter rule.
And I find that is, you know, that's gonna be
an issue. Finding those guys are hard because really, if
you can get lefties and right he's out, well, you're
gonna be a starter, right typically.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Yeah, And so that is kind of where I was thinking.
I don't know, just a guy, uh yeah, a pretty
good picture. He's done well. He is from like the
Columbus area. It's a high school draft pick by the
Dodgers out of West Jefferson High School, which is over
there by Columbus. You know, he's been just a solid
(20:53):
seven years three six six ERA a strikeout, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
And he's.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
He's twenty nine. Yeah, so that's kind of where I
was looking. I mean, he gave up what was his
whip is whip. He walks a little bit more than
I would like, but you know, actually for the season,
it was a really good change. Yeah, I mean he
was down to one point one sixty three, which, after
(21:26):
a couple bouncy years, is probably where he has been.
So again, I was thinking, just just a lefty Caleb Ferguson,
a guy who has experience, you know, is pitched in
the postseason post some postseason shoot each of the last
three years, with the Dodgers in twenty three, with the
(21:47):
Astros in twenty four, and with the Mariners in twenty five.
Also pitched for the Dodgers in the playoffs in eighteen
as a twenty one year old. So that's just a
guy I like with a lefty who does that kind
of thing. I think that's a that's a good peck,
do you?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Totally random?
Speaker 2 (22:05):
But uh, Drew Palmerants is interesting.
Speaker 3 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
I mean he's older obviously, but I mean I feel
like the guy just keeps like catching on to somebody
and pitching pretty decent for them. Yeah, in the Pennant
Races or yeah races, whatever it's called these days.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
No, I think you're right. I think there's a really
interesting part to be seen there. So yeah, we shall see. Okay,
now we're going to go to ours our sleeper signing.
What you got there?
Speaker 3 (22:42):
So here?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
I I mentioned this last week on our parent show
on who I think would be a good fit in Cincinnati,
and I say sleeper because he is an older guy,
but he's also got a great history at Great American Ballpark.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
It's Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
I really feel like this is a guy that just
knows how to hit. He hit two seventy to eighty
last year. Possibly he only hit like ten bombs, but
that is a guy that you can count on and
giving you a good at beat every single time in
his career at Great American, he's a two eighty plus
hitter with like twenty bombs in the sixty plus games
(23:23):
that he's played. He has success there. He knows this
this division. Obviously. I think it's a guy that you
could take a chance on it. And it's so almost
like a no lose situation, you know, the leadership in
the clubhouse, a guy that's.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Won in the past.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I mean, and he's gonna be a little bit cheaper
than you can you can think about getting him for
you know.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Yeah, well, I really dull. I think that's a that's
an interesting pick. Let me see what I was gonna
I probably should have done this earlier, but cold sent
so yeah, So I I think that's interesting mine. You know,
(24:04):
I kept going to some of those veteran guys and there,
you know, like maybe a maybe a guy like Luke Weaver.
You know, he was here. I know he liked it here.
(24:25):
I know, the Reds kind of he got along with
Derek Johnson. He liked that he could almost fill that
Nick Martinez role. Maybe that is maybe he's a starter,
but we can have him in the relief, in the
relief in the bullpen, and he pitched really well in
(24:47):
twenty twenty four, especially in the postseason, a little less
so last year. Again, you know, I think we both
have guys who didn't have great seasons with the Yankees
this year on our list. So I think that's he's
that's one.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
He's proved that he's could he could close in New
York like he did it.
Speaker 3 (25:06):
You mentioned the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
He did it towards the end of that season twenty
twenty four, and he did it very well. And if
you can close there, you can close anywhere.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
Yeah. No, I yeah, you're right. I like that pick.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
Just this is a matter of like what what's he
going to ask for?
Speaker 3 (25:20):
What's the market gonna right, you know.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And so that's where I'm also like, you know, guys
like this all depends on what it's going to be.
You know, you have some of the other names were
thrown around, right, cel Iglesias, Right, if you want to
keep on the reliever train, you know, in the outfield train,
I'm thinking maybe guys like Rob Refsneider, mike Yastrimsky.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
H.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Here's you know, I've heard some you know, Justin Turner
said he's always wanted to play for for Tito Francona.
He's forty one, really only plays first base, but I
think there's a lot of value there that could be
done as well. And maybe even like a kek Hernandez,
you know, just one of those vibes guys.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Yeah, and then when it comes time for the trade deadline,
if you're not in it, you trade him back to
the Dodgers and steal some of their prospects.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
Yeah, because they'll take them.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
I mean that's yeah, that's the way to go with
with Kiki.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
But I love that.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
I'd be great to have him running around that clubhouse.
I'm sure the fans would just adore that.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Dude. Yeah, I know they're doing la again, I don't
and and he's done this thing before where he'll go
somewhere and then just end up in La So now
we get to a little bit of tease for next
the next one. You know, if you want to have
questions for J. J. Cooper of Baseball America, who we're
going to talk to uh later this week and put
(26:52):
them in the comments, or go to Twitter at Riverfront
Pod at Riverfront Pod on Twitter and we'll see those
and we can ask JJ about guys. You know, I
said you a thing yes the other day because we
had talked about Alfredo Duno. That's I just can't. I'm
(27:12):
almost like to like I had this like fascination with
Elie de la Cruz from the first time I heard
about him, and like, I think I've replaced that with
Alfredo Duno. I stood next to him at one of
those games two years ago and I was like, holy moly,
this kid's massive. And he was eighteen, like just just
(27:34):
turned eighteen when I saw him there, and you're like, whoa,
And so as a nineteen year old, all he did
was let's see so again, he's still nineteen. He won't
be twenty until or wait is it the other way around?
Speaker 3 (27:54):
No? Yeah, yeah, yeah, still January. He'll be January.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
Yeah, he turns twenty. So he is a career slash
line in the minors of a two eighty seven batting average,
a four to twenty five on base and a five
ninety five slugging percentage. And so like last year he
was he was eighteen in the in the Florida State League,
(28:21):
was one of the younger players. Really, he only had
fifteen played against appearances of four hundred and ninety five,
so three percent of his were against younger pitchers. That
means the rest were against pitchers older than him, you know.
And I think he's only had like twenty eight maybe
or something like that all in over his career. So
(28:44):
what did he do last year in the Florida State League.
All he did was lead the league in home runs,
on base percentage, slugging in ops, doubles, walks, extra base hits,
total bases, isolated power, walk to strikeout ratio, second in
batting average and hits and walk percentage fourth and plate
(29:08):
appearances and had the slowest the seventh lowest strikeout percentage
eighteen and eighteen point four percent of guys who qualified, like.
Speaker 2 (29:20):
You might have been better off saying what he didn't
lead in because there would have been less. It seemed like, yes,
he pretty much led everything, like.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
He didn't lead an era, that's about it. It seems
oh my gosh. And and so then like you know,
he was the fourth youngest player in the Arizona Fall
League and had you know, in fifty nine plate appearances
hit two thirteen, three fifty six, two ninety eight. To me, like, again,
(29:51):
it's had on base percentage that gets me. And even
when he was struggling for the ball, you know, he
wasn't getting extra base hits and hitting it for but
to put up a three forty six on base percentage
over there, that's pretty good. And this is a guy
who can steal a base. He had six, had several
(30:12):
stolen bases, he's had triples, he can run for his size.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
Well, the short answer to that is a very good
on base percentage. I remember when I was nineteen, and
that's all we tried to do is have a good
on base percentage with off the field stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
You get where I'm going, Like, that's what I'm doing
at nineteen.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Like this guy at nineteen is a child still like
dominating men.
Speaker 3 (30:44):
Yeah, and so like it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1 (30:48):
So the Arizona Fall League just wrapped up, and those
were his regular season numbers and no home runs. Did
not hit a home run in the regular season of
the Arizona Fall League, but first playoff game he hit one.
He hit his first home run and it was one
(31:08):
hundred and twelve point five miles an hour off about
four hundred and forty five feet. That's pretty good. Yeah,
And that was in like the their divisional playoff thing,
and then they had a semi finals game, and in
the semifinal game, in the first ending, he comes up
with two guys on hits one one o two, goes
(31:31):
to center. It's it's pretty good this next time. Yeah,
this that was his wall scraper, because he then hit
another one that went two hundred and fifty six feet
I think, or two hundred and fifty three one oh
seven point six off the bat just to like it
(31:51):
bounced off the batter's eye dead center field. And then
he came up in his third well I don't know
if it was a third played appearance or ap at
or whatever, but in the third one he hits rush
is one one fifty six poll it was one oh
nine one off the bat, I mean, and you watched
(32:12):
the replay of it. I sent it to you, and like,
I mean, everybody knew it, like nobody, it wasn't he
took a second to admire it, and I think everybody
was like, yeah, I'd admire that too if I hit that.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Yeah, as long as you want.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
That was Yeah, that was not in Ron field Er,
uh to left. This was this was a real home run.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
It was. But they counted the same, right, No, you're counted.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
More because it was in the big leagues.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Oh okay, well I see, okay, you're right, you're right,
but they counted as still can't count as one.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, but yours this, yours, this in
the big league, so it's better.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Well, thank you for that.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
Hell, I have no home runs, so I have no
hits in the big leagues. And like quite honestly, like
I know, I wouldn't like if if I if my
bat touched the ball, it would be.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Luck swing heart in case you hit it. That's that's
what we did.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Yeah, it's gonna be like Homer Simpson with Wonder Boy
and just closing your eyes and anyway, all right, so
who are you? Who are you thinking about? Asking JJ
about so uh, I know.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
We talked about this before we came on, and I
just saw the list. It's actually six. I thought it
was seven, but six, Uh, number six prospect Chase Petty.
Heard so many good things about this kid, and like
just waiting for him to get his opportunity to stick
at the big league level. And I just want to
(33:56):
ask JJ, like what what his thoughts are and how
soon he's gonna get this chance.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Because yeah, we've seen him up here a little bit.
Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yeah, yeah, but it's like everybody's like, why can't he
come back?
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Where's Chase Petty?
Speaker 2 (34:09):
When when is he gonna get a chance to really stick?
That's what I want to know.
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, And and you know that he is still number
six on that on this list, which is which is
saying something and you you know, and it's probably because
I would guess if you have him as your sixth Beth,
you think he can be a starter. And that's probably
what it is. And he's had kind of some weird
(34:34):
ups and downs. His twenty twenty if I wasn't great
or and this twenty four wasn't either, But so we'll see,
and uh, I'll give you one little story though, like
I wanted to switch his number this year because I
always give Rick Stow like grief about the numbers that
he gives out and everything. And you know, there's nothing,
(34:55):
there's no time honored tradition in Cincinnati Reds Baseball other
than like giving the Stow's crap. I mean, like every
generation has done this, from you know, Frank Robinson on
down right, there has been a Stow to pick on.
(35:15):
And for me, it's joking with Rick about like I
can't believe you gave this guy, you know, how did
you give uh, you know, somebody's number away Danny Graves
this number? I mean, geez, no respect for Danny. And
he's like, ah, they you know, all these coaches and
these tired numbers, and he gets really upset, and it's
(35:37):
just so much fun. How would would you like if
I took a letter off your keyboard?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Huh uh wait? So did you really say something to him? Oh?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
Yeah, yeah, Oh I say it all the time. Like
every every guy that gets like comes in, it's like, man,
I can't believe you did Jamier Candelaria like that, like
you just give away his number. A new guy comes in, uh,
And so like Sheldon does it too, Like Mark Sheldon
and I, we both do it and we both find
it very funny. So yeah, so there's that. But where
(36:11):
was I going with this? Because I was like, oh, man,
I can't believe you give Ariste he's a keynotes number
to Li de la Cruz. But we all kind of
got it.
Speaker 3 (36:20):
Well now Tyler Callahan has.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
Yeah, yeah, man, tough kid. Tough tough kid. So oh
what I was going to say is like I was like,
you know, and this was earlier in the seasons, like
you really need to go, especially if you guys are
going to be in the speedway game. If Chase Petty's up,
he's got to have like forty three. I was like
(36:45):
Diaz's old number. I mean, but like when I said
it the first time, it was before dis Is, it
was Diaz's old number. It was still DS's and I
was like, man, you guys need to change it. If
you guys get rid of DS, you can change it
in time. So I am thing that when we show
up next year, goodyear, Chase will be number forty three.
(37:08):
He'll be he'll be right next to Ellie Da la Cruz. Basically,
he has to, like.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
There's no other number that he should even be allowed
to think of, that should be the only one.
Speaker 1 (37:19):
Yeah. So I just thought it would be really funny
if it was in the speedway game, and it would
have been like dude like fanatics would have loved that
because they could have sold a ton of those, like
Reds jerseys that are Petty with Petty's number on it.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
Yes, and and.
Speaker 2 (37:39):
The whole Petty family, Richard Kyle, all of them would
have worn a Red's Petty jersey.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Sure, yeah, I think I've read that. Have I read
that Dale Earnheart or is it Dale Earnhardt Junior who's
a Reds fan?
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Maybe I don't know, so anyway, is he okay?
Speaker 1 (37:57):
I think I've read that, so I don't know. Well, anyway,
I thought we were gonna get a little tight and
be a little tighter today, but I wandered, as I
am wont to. So again, thanks for joining us. I'm
c turn Rosecrans of the Athletic. He is Danny Graves
of two big league home runs, fame, Red's Hall of Famer,
(38:21):
all the rest. If you know. If if you like this,
please let it, let us know. If you have any questions,
please let us know. We'll read the comments, et cetera.
On YouTube. It's also you know everywhere else would get podcasts,
So please subscribe to Reverfront Territory on YouTube and wherever
you get your podcasts. You know, share it with your
friends if if you want read.
Speaker 3 (38:43):
It not they want, they should, they should should, yes.
Speaker 1 (38:47):
And hopefully you're doing it to people you like. Uh
so that's good and it's not like, oh man, I
hate them. They got to listen to this, so share, review,
be nice, some sensitive, give us live stars, and you know,
say something nice. We'll say something nice to you. Riverfront
Territory is a part of the Foul Territory Network, so
(39:08):
we will see you again later this week and we
will have JJ Cooper. Thank you for listening, watching, doing whatever,
and thank you Danny for joining. Thank you
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