February 26, 2024 • 26 mins
Timestamps:
0:00 Bellinger Back to the Chicago Cubs
7:00 NL Central is WIDE Open
8:45 JD Martinez Declined a Giants Offer
12:35 The Other Boras Clients: Blake Snell & Matt Chapman
23:10 Spring Training Games
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello, and welcome to Waken Jake myself King Beebes. As
we talk about the Cody Bellinger signing, he returns to
the Cubbies. Interesting little contract couple opti outs early on,
we talked about it on Talking Baseball, but we'll talk
about it here. What it means for the other free agents.
Jade Martinez dunks on the Giants for no particular reason,
(00:24):
but that's just how he gets down. The rest of
the boris for as we leak into spring training games.
I got to watch some baseball this weekend. I really
enjoyed that. I hope you did as well, or you
checked in on you know some NBA action. College basketball
is cruising, but we're gonna keep it pretty baseball focused
(00:48):
today and it starts with Belly back to the Bears.
Cody Bellinger is a cub three years, eighty million, thirty
thirty with opt outs after every year. Essentially the final
year is just the end of a contract. But Kobel
(01:10):
returns to the Cubs. As you look at their lineup,
it feels a lot better with him back in it.
I know there's been some discussion about what the Cubbies
are gonna do with the top of their order, but
some combination of Horner, Swanson hap Belly say you can
make a top part of the lineup the contract the
(01:35):
opt outs. My initial reaction was ooh, like it all around,
which me and John talked about on Talking Baseball, and
he was kind of the opposite effect. And I think
we figured out why and I think we landed in
a good place. Jimmy was kind of looking at it
through the fans scope. It does kind of think if
if Cody Bellinger is good this year, he will be
(01:56):
a free agent again. Now the Cubs will be able
to bit on him if they want, and Cody could
go back to Chicago, which I think was a part
of his free agency negotiation. Like from everything we've heard
about Belly the human, I think he liked Chicago. I
think it was a good mix of baseball town, but
not the crazies of Boston, New York maybe LA maybe
(02:23):
pump them in for now. Although he you know, obviously
he was there, obviously came up in that the reasons
I liked it. If you're Cody Bellinger, for me, this,
if Cody Bellinger has a good season in the next
three years, he's going to get another contract. Obviously, the
(02:45):
scope of how good that season is and when it
happens dictates the next part. I know that sounds basic,
but if Cody Bellinger goes off this year does essentially
the same thing, he'll hit free agency again. He will
be twenty nine years old, still on the right side
of thirty. He'll have put together back to back really
nice seasons, seasons that again, his career numbers still look
(03:09):
pretty good. He just had two really bad years his
age twenty five and twenty six season that clearly seemed
linked to injury. He had the shoulder injury. I still
remember we did a live stream. My guy, Cole Tucker
Seattle Mariners sent me a pick of himself in the
(03:30):
Mariners UNI. I'm gonna text it to BBD and we'll
get his reaction when he's back on camera looking real cute.
But I remember we were live streaming and Cole Tucker
was live streaming the playoffs with us. I said, you know, man,
the belly stuff. Dude like started doing a whole speech like, man,
baseball is kind of a weird sport, huh, Like it
(03:51):
comes and goes. I casually mentioned I was like, you know,
I was like, was belly really like hurt this year.
I can't remember a significant injury, and Cole just looked
at me like with honest puppy eyes. He's like his shoulder, bro.
So he ended up doing the one year with the South.
(04:11):
South Siders are the Cubs.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
North They're on the north side.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
They're the north Siders. The White Sox are the South
Yeah that makes sense. But they don't get called the
north Siders, right Yeah, White Sox get called the south
southe Siders.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
They're just like on on the north.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Side, Chicago. You know, I've already had my issues with
your town. Cody comes back. If he has a big
season in the next two uh, he can easily get
another contract like this where those final years become insurance policies,
or if he goes back to back, I mean he's
(04:49):
he's gonna be deserving of a pretty big, you know,
one hundred and fifty to two hundred million dollar type contract.
The guy can play the whole outfield and first base
if Father time starts to kick in, So as long
as you're getting some sort of offensive production left handed
bat that can kind of be slotted. Well. If he
(05:10):
does what he did last year, three oh, seven three,
fifty six, eight eighty one. You'll take that dude anywhere.
Twenty six homers, twenty steals good for the Cubbies. When
I talked to Ian Happ, he uh he half off
the record, half on the record, gave like, uh, you know,
we we still think there's gonna be another guy here,
(05:32):
whether that was Belly or Chapman, I think he was
referring to h and everyone kind of assumed Belly. Belly
was there last year, is great, seemed like a good
fit comes back. Slotting him in the middle of that
lineup helps a lot changes the field there. And I
think the interesting thing I think I think the Cub's
(05:56):
front office is stoked because they don't have the risk
of you know, paying potentially older, not as good Cody
Bellinger a lot of money. And I think I saw
the Cubs fan base was pretty hype because for them,
if Cody Bellinger is good this year and opts out,
that's a future problem. That's Hey, okay, Belly's on our
(06:19):
team this year, let's run you figure it out in
the future. If he opt out or if he has
a tough year this year, you kind of have one
more year of hope that he'll bounce back and then
jimmy side of the fan perspective, I did think was
interesting that they can't fully sink their teeth into belly.
Cubs fans might bark back at that just a little
(06:41):
bit because they've already sunk their teeth into belly a
little bit. But it would be a lot nicer if
this was a six year, one thirty mili contract and
it is like, all right, Cody Bellinger is going to
be a part of this franchise, let's do it now.
The question is a if any of you ever want
(07:02):
to talk NL Central, I'm all ears because I don't know.
I don't know how you truly separate the Brewers, Cubs, Reds,
and Cardinals. I really don't, uh. The NL Central has
a chance to be a lot of fun this year,
which we I guess we normally say almost tongue in
(07:24):
cheek about the Central divisions the past couple of years,
I guess not the AL Central AL Central was always
just two teams, please compete.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It's like please, They've always had like one solid team
in the AL Central, and I guess some years it's
been a little bit like but one of you's got
to win this. But this year for the NL Central,
it's like you got at least four teams that are
gonna be that are going into the season thing, they'll
be pretty good.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So what the Cubs offseason is Imminaga to replace Stroman,
They signed Nars kind of forgot about that.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
A little bolts and stabilizing only one lefty in their bullpen.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Cody Bellinger returns and then Michael Bush was in that
Dodger's trade and he's he's gonna get a significant look
at first base. So again, the Cubs last year with
a very similar roster rosta, they did win eighty three games.
They have a bunch of top prospects that are in
the pipeline and let's see who gets called up this
(08:30):
year slash who can become capital I suppose, But yeah,
I'm I'm still Central's wide open. If you can convince
me either way on any of these, let me know.
So from there, the conversation segueze into the contract the
(08:52):
opt outs. This is boris. This is one of the
original boris for the new boris for Jad Martinez slides up. Uh.
He came out in the media and said that he
turned down one for fourteen from the San Francisco Giants,
who then turned that into Jorge Solaire for three years.
(09:13):
I saw the internet was being kind of tough on
JD because they were like thirty seven year old DH
turning down fourteen million dollars, Like that's not how this
works anymore, Pop. But like we talked about offensively his
career stats and what he did last year, JD can
offer what he wants. Uh, I'll be interested to see
(09:36):
if there's more more of a market or where that
market lands for him, because man, I don't know. I
know we've talked about the Mets. There's a few other
teams that could a pure DH.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
It's tough man even like a lot of like Solaire,
I've we mentioned in pass you can throw him in
the outfield still like on any given day or like JD.
I think they did it like one full game and
maybe the end of some weird ones last year, like
he really is a DA.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Twelve innings, Yeah, twelve innings in the outfield last year?
What do you make last year? Was that the end?
So he was ten mil last year? I guess he
played a little better than the year before. I don't know.
I guess I was surprised to see that. I know
that San Francisco in the Bay Area has gone a
lot of crap baseball wise and living condition wise, So
(10:34):
maybe that's part of the fourteen mil decision. There Where
where are his landing spots?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I guess Caveat is like any teams, an injury away
from potentially having at bats open up, or the guy
they currently have DH being more fully in the outfield.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
But like.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Mets feel like real option. I don't know what they're
but their appetite for a one year deal is.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
But know what i'd sneaky like fits another team that
made some action, The Marlins. Yeah, right now, avisel slotted
as their DH. You put Jadi Martinez in that lineup
and it starts kind of becoming a lineup you can
dream on. What does it mean? Do the Padres have
(11:27):
room for a DH? They do? That would be good,
but it's still just so right handed. Yeah, they don't money.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, if he's turning down fourteen mil, they probably have
that area to work with as far as payroll editions go. No,
I know they're team waiting on a key k Hernandez decision.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Texas Rangers would be interesting. Okay, there's still room for
Jad Martinez somewhere in baseball.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
And there's a lot of teams that like push comes
to shove. Yeah, Jad Martinez, they can find him at bats.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Angels are your backup, Detroit? Do you have a DH
Kerry Carpenter? Okay, let's see where the JD Martinez saga lands.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
There's teams that can trade with the plan to flip.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I think the bigger thing with this with the original
boris core four. Now that JD's been elevated Chapman, Monty
and Snell, is are they going to be open to
this kind of contract. Kind of the consensus we've landed
on so far is that if you're the pitchers, you
(12:36):
need more of an insurance policy just in case significant
injury or it's just over. And I think Monty has
been proven to be reliable, pretty good MLB innings, where
Snell has been proved to his best is as good
as anyone's in baseball. There's just some risk of does
(13:01):
the performance fall off? No pitchers have really been good
at just walking the ballpark. And then Matt Chapman teams
are just nervous.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
He's of the original Bors for the one that should
have been most open to the type of deal Belly
got right and very maybe he is.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I think it's super in play for Chapman, the guy
the glove is always going to be there if he's
willing to do this. It's kind of the same thing
in my brain. It's you're getting a payday with a
little bit of an insurance policy. I think Chapman's going
to be open to that. I think Snell to a
degree will be Like I said, I think he'd need
(13:43):
more on the back end, you know, a couple twenty
fifteen million even something like that, just in case things
go off the tracks career wise. BBD, you said you
solved Snell.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
I figured out it's struck that I think works. I
sent it to some people both in and out of
this company, Like am I am I way off base?
Here are there rules? I'm missing how this this all works?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So I can't.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I found a six year deal structure that I think works. Okay,
so in total he would get to beat Rodan's money.
I have it as six point eighty as like the baseline,
like this is the contract that gets tweeted out. Okay,
that would beat Rodan's money, which I think is like
(14:32):
the starting point and rather healthily could be fair. It's
a that gets you a clean thirty MILLI year AAVKA,
which would in the case of the Yankees that matters
to them because I have the first two years as
being forty million a year each of those two years,
so I think he gets beating Rodin and setting a
(14:53):
not not one of the old dude's salary records at
forty million year, and then they have opt outs after
years two through the end. You can op that whenever
you want. Blake and I have the twenty five million
year over each of those remaining four which is your
next one hundred million that he's guaranteed to him, and
(15:17):
I have a way I had Jimmy's fun like Yanks
counter I'm speaking specifically about the Ink, right. They're the
ones that can play around with their money. The most
Yanks counter punch would be either replacing those four years
with a thirty million dollar salary rather than twenty five
so he gets a raise that you bring the total
(15:38):
value of the deal to six two hundred two hundred
kind of a number he'd like, I'm sure would love
to be able to say like it can get to
this number, or if you needed to give him a
fifth year at the same thirty million a year, maybe
maybe if you go fifth year, it's less whatever. I think,
like any if any time he can opt out of that,
Yanks have the counter punch of they can opt back
(16:02):
into that number. Basically, yeah, structured something like that keeps
the AAV lower than that forty mil the first two years,
especially because the Yankees over the final tier so mitigates
some of the tax payment. I think Boris gets some
(16:23):
talking points that he would hang his hat on. Snell
gets a pretty nice guarantee opportunity for more. I think
the Yankees would need at least two years promise to
them for losing the draft pick and making like this
was worth it. It's like kind of the best guess
(16:43):
I've been able to throw out as far as like
exact structure and front loading and all that. Yankees also
sneaky have not done a lot of front loading or
like they kind they've kind of kept them even. But
worst scenario with this deal as well the back end,
with the new rules and how trading away a salary works,
(17:05):
It's a lower luxury tax hit than what the Yankees
took in would be if you're on those back four years,
which I should, there'd be some sort of no trade,
but twenty five million a year luxury tax hit if
a worst case scenario not unmovable.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Baseball Yankee fans still dreaming of Snell, I think you
could get some of that in there. And yeah, I
think we see more of a path opt outs we
have always known, have we thought would be a thing
with Snell. It's just gonna be how much? And yeah,
I think I think for Belly the three years and
(17:45):
the timing of it makes a lot of sense. Snell
and Monty are gonna need more insurance on that. And
if I'm if I'm Snell, hm, it's I guess that's
going to be the interesting thing at this point his
contract is gonna have opt outs. I would I would
bet pretty good money on that that. I think we're
probably gonna hit a point where it's what is the
(18:10):
Snell priority? Is is he really gonna bet on himself
in these next couple of years or does a team
really pony up? And is that injury coming that we've
talked about with a franchise. But I don't know, man,
that just seems I realize it's happened before, but it
(18:30):
wasn't on the level of Snell like that. The only
other thing that got brought up, and I think it
was in one of the waken Jake comments. Thank you
guys for commenting. Uh was Dallas Kikeel's free agency that
just went into the season.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah, he and he and kimberl had the waited.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Out, had to wait out the draft pick, which I
don't know. If we get there, that would be bad
for baseball, probably be good for talking baseball, probably get
some random clicky episodes. But yeah, I hope, I hope
we don't get there. I hope we get a fun
Snell contract because A, he's earned it. He just won
(19:13):
the cy Young, his second, his second Cy Young. He's
a free agent, He's got all the talent, the personality
is fun doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
But it happened to Snow would be It shouldn't have
happened to Kikeele either, But at least that year it
was like a fairly healthy step back from cy Young
year two of the three years leading into that free
agency where like not the peak like A like at
(19:46):
least that there were more weird stuff there.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Like his peripherals had gone down. Yeah, yeah, there was
like there was some action there. Uh yeah, it's like
fucked up an yeah, the uh smell. At this time,
Yankees are still the Vegas Odds favorite Jack Curry, who
is like the the Yankee Angel of Truth. He says
(20:09):
that the Yankees aren't in on Snell as long as
things stay the same. What does that mean, because we
do kind of know that Snell and Boris turned down
one hundred and fifty mil. That was kind of reported.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I guess the opening offer of five to one
fifty from the Yankees. Maybe that maybe that is or
isn't the exact number, but there was an opening offer
in that neighborhood declined.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
So Snell watch continues and looks kind of weird. Manty,
I wonder if he's waiting for Snell. Texas still seems
like a possible landing spot. They have some of their
TV stuff figured out in my dream world and this
is very East Coast. Snell signs with the Yankees, he
(20:55):
does a weird five year deal with a bunch of
opt outs. I think that would force Red Sox management
to go sign Jordan Montgomery, which he'd actually be a
great fit for them. He's innings, he'd be the only
lefty in the rotation. Stuff like that kind of doesn't matter.
(21:16):
And he's Monte kind of has a Boston Beard, Jordy Montgomery.
That's obviously a little bit of my Al East fan fiction.
Other teams are going to be in on these guys
because they're really good players. So let's see. I mean,
if you had told us that Cody Bellinger was going
to sign for under one hundred mil, I think we
all would have been like, WHOA, I don't know, bad
(21:39):
free agent market, and maybe it is, but he goes
for the opt outs, he stays in Chicago, which I
think he wanted that. I wouldn't be shocked at all
to see Matt Chapman to do something very similar because,
like Trev always says on Talking Baseball, if Matt Chapman
puts together a full offensive season, he can be an
MVP type candidate. We haven't really seen that in a
(22:01):
little bit, but he's still got the exit VELO numbers.
You'd love to see him in a good lineup.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
There's an element of what's it worth to still be
like a threat even though the results, yes haven't been
there at the level you want from him, like he's
he's a threat.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He's a threat. I mean every season he's been one
hundred ops plus or better. So you know, the the
risk that seemingly Belly had, he doesn't have that. But
he doesn't seemingly have the upside as he hasn't had
a year equivalent to what Belly had since twenty eighteen.
(22:38):
Interested to see the Matt Chapman team Seattle Giants, see
if like the Mets or any of these other dark
horse teams get involved. Man, it would be a be
kind of a Philly nuke. Yeah, they're always a threat
in Boem doesn't grade out well defensively.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Feels like I'm both these guys like we're way for
a week. There's a real Phillies rumor at least right
give me a rumor.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Or maybe there's an injury or this could drag into
the season, which would be no fun. Okay, Yeah, I
think the only other thing that I really want to
mention as it was fun fun to watch spring training
baseball over the weekend mon Soto home run, Yankees putting
(23:25):
up twenty two runs in their first game. I mentioned it,
but Jad Martinez, I want to get the quotes on this. JD.
Martinez told the San Francisco Giants no to fourteen million dollars,
(23:49):
and there was like a quote that said, I didn't
want to sign there. Man, I shouldn't just have searched
Jade Martinez because oh yeah he so. Hayman reports that
he quote unquote did not want to go there. I
think that's a little dramatic. I think that's at that
(24:10):
price tag he did not want to go there, but
it is It's an interesting question of a guy that's
going to be your everyday DH thirty seven I think
during the season will turn thirty seven, turns thirty seven
in August. Okay can work with that. Thirty three homers
(24:34):
last year in eight ninety three ops and he got
called up to the Big Lakes. He was not part
of the Boris four, and now he is because Belly signed.
So probably the most reliable hitter on the market. I
think that's all I've got from kind of this wrap
(24:54):
around of spring training. I guess a little high and
tight waking JK today, Key, we'll be back with Jolliver
doing another rankings list. We'll have to schedule that ourselves,
and hey, I think if there's any other breaking news
with the boris for we might do something here. It
(25:14):
breaking time. It breaking Sunday morning with the belly signing
was kind of not much you can do with that.
It's kind of what were we gonna do with that?
We'll see you Monday is basically what that is. So
I guess I'll ask for some comments comment below if
you're seeing something in spring training you like you so far,
(25:38):
it is the time of eternal hope. Probably too much hope.
I've got Joe's McFly texting me about Luis Terenz. Is
he homered in the first two spring training games or.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
If that's out of options, might might be gone.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Hey, I guess let me know where the juicy goss
from your team, your your team has come in this
spring training. Uh for now, sorry, it's a shorty story
of my life. But we will see you guys midweek
or if there's any breaking news.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Jason Domingos took twenty swings HW
Hello, and welcome to Waken Jake myself King Beebes. As
we talk about the Cody Bellinger signing, he returns to
the Cubbies. Interesting little contract couple opti outs early on,
we talked about it on Talking Baseball, but we'll talk
about it here. What it means for the other free agents.
Jade Martinez dunks on the Giants for no particular reason,
(00:24):
but that's just how he gets down. The rest of
the boris for as we leak into spring training games.
I got to watch some baseball this weekend. I really
enjoyed that. I hope you did as well, or you
checked in on you know some NBA action. College basketball
is cruising, but we're gonna keep it pretty baseball focused
(00:48):
today and it starts with Belly back to the Bears.
Cody Bellinger is a cub three years, eighty million, thirty
thirty with opt outs after every year. Essentially the final
year is just the end of a contract. But Kobel
(01:10):
returns to the Cubs. As you look at their lineup,
it feels a lot better with him back in it.
I know there's been some discussion about what the Cubbies
are gonna do with the top of their order, but
some combination of Horner, Swanson hap Belly say you can
make a top part of the lineup the contract the
(01:35):
opt outs. My initial reaction was ooh, like it all around,
which me and John talked about on Talking Baseball, and
he was kind of the opposite effect. And I think
we figured out why and I think we landed in
a good place. Jimmy was kind of looking at it
through the fans scope. It does kind of think if
if Cody Bellinger is good this year, he will be
(01:56):
a free agent again. Now the Cubs will be able
to bit on him if they want, and Cody could
go back to Chicago, which I think was a part
of his free agency negotiation. Like from everything we've heard
about Belly the human, I think he liked Chicago. I
think it was a good mix of baseball town, but
not the crazies of Boston, New York maybe LA maybe
(02:23):
pump them in for now. Although he you know, obviously
he was there, obviously came up in that the reasons
I liked it. If you're Cody Bellinger, for me, this,
if Cody Bellinger has a good season in the next
three years, he's going to get another contract. Obviously, the
(02:45):
scope of how good that season is and when it
happens dictates the next part. I know that sounds basic,
but if Cody Bellinger goes off this year does essentially
the same thing, he'll hit free agency again. He will
be twenty nine years old, still on the right side
of thirty. He'll have put together back to back really
nice seasons, seasons that again, his career numbers still look
(03:09):
pretty good. He just had two really bad years his
age twenty five and twenty six season that clearly seemed
linked to injury. He had the shoulder injury. I still
remember we did a live stream. My guy, Cole Tucker
Seattle Mariners sent me a pick of himself in the
(03:30):
Mariners UNI. I'm gonna text it to BBD and we'll
get his reaction when he's back on camera looking real cute.
But I remember we were live streaming and Cole Tucker
was live streaming the playoffs with us. I said, you know, man,
the belly stuff. Dude like started doing a whole speech like, man,
baseball is kind of a weird sport, huh, Like it
(03:51):
comes and goes. I casually mentioned I was like, you know,
I was like, was belly really like hurt this year.
I can't remember a significant injury, and Cole just looked
at me like with honest puppy eyes. He's like his shoulder, bro.
So he ended up doing the one year with the South.
(04:11):
South Siders are the Cubs.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
North They're on the north side.
Speaker 1 (04:15):
They're the north Siders. The White Sox are the South
Yeah that makes sense. But they don't get called the
north Siders, right Yeah, White Sox get called the south
southe Siders.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
They're just like on on the north.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Side, Chicago. You know, I've already had my issues with
your town. Cody comes back. If he has a big
season in the next two uh, he can easily get
another contract like this where those final years become insurance policies,
or if he goes back to back, I mean he's
(04:49):
he's gonna be deserving of a pretty big, you know,
one hundred and fifty to two hundred million dollar type contract.
The guy can play the whole outfield and first base
if Father time starts to kick in, So as long
as you're getting some sort of offensive production left handed
bat that can kind of be slotted. Well. If he
(05:10):
does what he did last year, three oh, seven three,
fifty six, eight eighty one. You'll take that dude anywhere.
Twenty six homers, twenty steals good for the Cubbies. When
I talked to Ian Happ, he uh he half off
the record, half on the record, gave like, uh, you know,
we we still think there's gonna be another guy here,
(05:32):
whether that was Belly or Chapman, I think he was
referring to h and everyone kind of assumed Belly. Belly
was there last year, is great, seemed like a good
fit comes back. Slotting him in the middle of that
lineup helps a lot changes the field there. And I
think the interesting thing I think I think the Cub's
(05:56):
front office is stoked because they don't have the risk
of you know, paying potentially older, not as good Cody
Bellinger a lot of money. And I think I saw
the Cubs fan base was pretty hype because for them,
if Cody Bellinger is good this year and opts out,
that's a future problem. That's Hey, okay, Belly's on our
(06:19):
team this year, let's run you figure it out in
the future. If he opt out or if he has
a tough year this year, you kind of have one
more year of hope that he'll bounce back and then
jimmy side of the fan perspective, I did think was
interesting that they can't fully sink their teeth into belly.
Cubs fans might bark back at that just a little
(06:41):
bit because they've already sunk their teeth into belly a
little bit. But it would be a lot nicer if
this was a six year, one thirty mili contract and
it is like, all right, Cody Bellinger is going to
be a part of this franchise, let's do it now.
The question is a if any of you ever want
(07:02):
to talk NL Central, I'm all ears because I don't know.
I don't know how you truly separate the Brewers, Cubs, Reds,
and Cardinals. I really don't, uh. The NL Central has
a chance to be a lot of fun this year,
which we I guess we normally say almost tongue in
(07:24):
cheek about the Central divisions the past couple of years,
I guess not the AL Central AL Central was always
just two teams, please compete.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
It's like please, They've always had like one solid team
in the AL Central, and I guess some years it's
been a little bit like but one of you's got
to win this. But this year for the NL Central,
it's like you got at least four teams that are
gonna be that are going into the season thing, they'll
be pretty good.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
So what the Cubs offseason is Imminaga to replace Stroman,
They signed Nars kind of forgot about that.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
A little bolts and stabilizing only one lefty in their bullpen.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Cody Bellinger returns and then Michael Bush was in that
Dodger's trade and he's he's gonna get a significant look
at first base. So again, the Cubs last year with
a very similar roster rosta, they did win eighty three games.
They have a bunch of top prospects that are in
the pipeline and let's see who gets called up this
(08:30):
year slash who can become capital I suppose, But yeah,
I'm I'm still Central's wide open. If you can convince
me either way on any of these, let me know.
So from there, the conversation segueze into the contract the
(08:52):
opt outs. This is boris. This is one of the
original boris for the new boris for Jad Martinez slides up. Uh.
He came out in the media and said that he
turned down one for fourteen from the San Francisco Giants,
who then turned that into Jorge Solaire for three years.
(09:13):
I saw the internet was being kind of tough on
JD because they were like thirty seven year old DH
turning down fourteen million dollars, Like that's not how this
works anymore, Pop. But like we talked about offensively his
career stats and what he did last year, JD can
offer what he wants. Uh, I'll be interested to see
(09:36):
if there's more more of a market or where that
market lands for him, because man, I don't know. I
know we've talked about the Mets. There's a few other
teams that could a pure DH.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
It's tough man even like a lot of like Solaire,
I've we mentioned in pass you can throw him in
the outfield still like on any given day or like JD.
I think they did it like one full game and
maybe the end of some weird ones last year, like
he really is a DA.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Twelve innings, Yeah, twelve innings in the outfield last year?
What do you make last year? Was that the end?
So he was ten mil last year? I guess he
played a little better than the year before. I don't know.
I guess I was surprised to see that. I know
that San Francisco in the Bay Area has gone a
lot of crap baseball wise and living condition wise, So
(10:34):
maybe that's part of the fourteen mil decision. There Where
where are his landing spots?
Speaker 2 (10:45):
I guess Caveat is like any teams, an injury away
from potentially having at bats open up, or the guy
they currently have DH being more fully in the outfield.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
But like.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Mets feel like real option. I don't know what they're
but their appetite for a one year deal is.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
But know what i'd sneaky like fits another team that
made some action, The Marlins. Yeah, right now, avisel slotted
as their DH. You put Jadi Martinez in that lineup
and it starts kind of becoming a lineup you can
dream on. What does it mean? Do the Padres have
(11:27):
room for a DH? They do? That would be good,
but it's still just so right handed. Yeah, they don't money.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, if he's turning down fourteen mil, they probably have
that area to work with as far as payroll editions go. No,
I know they're team waiting on a key k Hernandez decision.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Texas Rangers would be interesting. Okay, there's still room for
Jad Martinez somewhere in baseball.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
And there's a lot of teams that like push comes
to shove. Yeah, Jad Martinez, they can find him at bats.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Angels are your backup, Detroit? Do you have a DH
Kerry Carpenter? Okay, let's see where the JD Martinez saga lands.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
There's teams that can trade with the plan to flip.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
I think the bigger thing with this with the original
boris core four. Now that JD's been elevated Chapman, Monty
and Snell, is are they going to be open to
this kind of contract. Kind of the consensus we've landed
on so far is that if you're the pitchers, you
(12:36):
need more of an insurance policy just in case significant
injury or it's just over. And I think Monty has
been proven to be reliable, pretty good MLB innings, where
Snell has been proved to his best is as good
as anyone's in baseball. There's just some risk of does
(13:01):
the performance fall off? No pitchers have really been good
at just walking the ballpark. And then Matt Chapman teams
are just nervous.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
He's of the original Bors for the one that should
have been most open to the type of deal Belly
got right and very maybe he is.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
I think it's super in play for Chapman, the guy
the glove is always going to be there if he's
willing to do this. It's kind of the same thing
in my brain. It's you're getting a payday with a
little bit of an insurance policy. I think Chapman's going
to be open to that. I think Snell to a
degree will be Like I said, I think he'd need
(13:43):
more on the back end, you know, a couple twenty
fifteen million even something like that, just in case things
go off the tracks career wise. BBD, you said you
solved Snell.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
I figured out it's struck that I think works. I
sent it to some people both in and out of
this company, Like am I am I way off base?
Here are there rules? I'm missing how this this all works?
Speaker 1 (14:10):
So I can't.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
I found a six year deal structure that I think works. Okay,
so in total he would get to beat Rodan's money.
I have it as six point eighty as like the baseline,
like this is the contract that gets tweeted out. Okay,
that would beat Rodan's money, which I think is like
(14:32):
the starting point and rather healthily could be fair. It's
a that gets you a clean thirty MILLI year AAVKA,
which would in the case of the Yankees that matters
to them because I have the first two years as
being forty million a year each of those two years,
so I think he gets beating Rodin and setting a
(14:53):
not not one of the old dude's salary records at
forty million year, and then they have opt outs after
years two through the end. You can op that whenever
you want. Blake and I have the twenty five million
year over each of those remaining four which is your
next one hundred million that he's guaranteed to him, and
(15:17):
I have a way I had Jimmy's fun like Yanks
counter I'm speaking specifically about the Ink, right. They're the
ones that can play around with their money. The most
Yanks counter punch would be either replacing those four years
with a thirty million dollar salary rather than twenty five
so he gets a raise that you bring the total
(15:38):
value of the deal to six two hundred two hundred
kind of a number he'd like, I'm sure would love
to be able to say like it can get to
this number, or if you needed to give him a
fifth year at the same thirty million a year, maybe
maybe if you go fifth year, it's less whatever. I think,
like any if any time he can opt out of that,
Yanks have the counter punch of they can opt back
(16:02):
into that number. Basically, yeah, structured something like that keeps
the AAV lower than that forty mil the first two years,
especially because the Yankees over the final tier so mitigates
some of the tax payment. I think Boris gets some
(16:23):
talking points that he would hang his hat on. Snell
gets a pretty nice guarantee opportunity for more. I think
the Yankees would need at least two years promise to
them for losing the draft pick and making like this
was worth it. It's like kind of the best guess
(16:43):
I've been able to throw out as far as like
exact structure and front loading and all that. Yankees also
sneaky have not done a lot of front loading or
like they kind they've kind of kept them even. But
worst scenario with this deal as well the back end,
with the new rules and how trading away a salary works,
(17:05):
It's a lower luxury tax hit than what the Yankees
took in would be if you're on those back four years,
which I should, there'd be some sort of no trade,
but twenty five million a year luxury tax hit if
a worst case scenario not unmovable.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
Baseball Yankee fans still dreaming of Snell, I think you
could get some of that in there. And yeah, I
think we see more of a path opt outs we
have always known, have we thought would be a thing
with Snell. It's just gonna be how much? And yeah,
I think I think for Belly the three years and
(17:45):
the timing of it makes a lot of sense. Snell
and Monty are gonna need more insurance on that. And
if I'm if I'm Snell, hm, it's I guess that's
going to be the interesting thing at this point his
contract is gonna have opt outs. I would I would
bet pretty good money on that that. I think we're
probably gonna hit a point where it's what is the
(18:10):
Snell priority? Is is he really gonna bet on himself
in these next couple of years or does a team
really pony up? And is that injury coming that we've
talked about with a franchise. But I don't know, man,
that just seems I realize it's happened before, but it
(18:30):
wasn't on the level of Snell like that. The only
other thing that got brought up, and I think it
was in one of the waken Jake comments. Thank you
guys for commenting. Uh was Dallas Kikeel's free agency that
just went into the season.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
Yeah, he and he and kimberl had the waited.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Out, had to wait out the draft pick, which I
don't know. If we get there, that would be bad
for baseball, probably be good for talking baseball, probably get
some random clicky episodes. But yeah, I hope, I hope
we don't get there. I hope we get a fun
Snell contract because A, he's earned it. He just won
(19:13):
the cy Young, his second, his second Cy Young. He's
a free agent, He's got all the talent, the personality
is fun doesn't matter.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
But it happened to Snow would be It shouldn't have
happened to Kikeele either, But at least that year it
was like a fairly healthy step back from cy Young
year two of the three years leading into that free
agency where like not the peak like A like at
(19:46):
least that there were more weird stuff there.
Speaker 1 (19:49):
Like his peripherals had gone down. Yeah, yeah, there was
like there was some action there. Uh yeah, it's like
fucked up an yeah, the uh smell. At this time,
Yankees are still the Vegas Odds favorite Jack Curry, who
is like the the Yankee Angel of Truth. He says
(20:09):
that the Yankees aren't in on Snell as long as
things stay the same. What does that mean, because we
do kind of know that Snell and Boris turned down
one hundred and fifty mil. That was kind of reported.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yeah, I guess the opening offer of five to one
fifty from the Yankees. Maybe that maybe that is or
isn't the exact number, but there was an opening offer
in that neighborhood declined.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
So Snell watch continues and looks kind of weird. Manty,
I wonder if he's waiting for Snell. Texas still seems
like a possible landing spot. They have some of their
TV stuff figured out in my dream world and this
is very East Coast. Snell signs with the Yankees, he
(20:55):
does a weird five year deal with a bunch of
opt outs. I think that would force Red Sox management
to go sign Jordan Montgomery, which he'd actually be a
great fit for them. He's innings, he'd be the only
lefty in the rotation. Stuff like that kind of doesn't matter.
(21:16):
And he's Monte kind of has a Boston Beard, Jordy Montgomery.
That's obviously a little bit of my Al East fan fiction.
Other teams are going to be in on these guys
because they're really good players. So let's see. I mean,
if you had told us that Cody Bellinger was going
to sign for under one hundred mil, I think we
all would have been like, WHOA, I don't know, bad
(21:39):
free agent market, and maybe it is, but he goes
for the opt outs, he stays in Chicago, which I
think he wanted that. I wouldn't be shocked at all
to see Matt Chapman to do something very similar because,
like Trev always says on Talking Baseball, if Matt Chapman
puts together a full offensive season, he can be an
MVP type candidate. We haven't really seen that in a
(22:01):
little bit, but he's still got the exit VELO numbers.
You'd love to see him in a good lineup.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
There's an element of what's it worth to still be
like a threat even though the results, yes haven't been
there at the level you want from him, like he's
he's a threat.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
He's a threat. I mean every season he's been one
hundred ops plus or better. So you know, the the
risk that seemingly Belly had, he doesn't have that. But
he doesn't seemingly have the upside as he hasn't had
a year equivalent to what Belly had since twenty eighteen.
(22:38):
Interested to see the Matt Chapman team Seattle Giants, see
if like the Mets or any of these other dark
horse teams get involved. Man, it would be a be
kind of a Philly nuke. Yeah, they're always a threat
in Boem doesn't grade out well defensively.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Feels like I'm both these guys like we're way for
a week. There's a real Phillies rumor at least right
give me a rumor.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Or maybe there's an injury or this could drag into
the season, which would be no fun. Okay, Yeah, I
think the only other thing that I really want to
mention as it was fun fun to watch spring training
baseball over the weekend mon Soto home run, Yankees putting
(23:25):
up twenty two runs in their first game. I mentioned it,
but Jad Martinez, I want to get the quotes on this. JD.
Martinez told the San Francisco Giants no to fourteen million dollars,
(23:49):
and there was like a quote that said, I didn't
want to sign there. Man, I shouldn't just have searched
Jade Martinez because oh yeah he so. Hayman reports that
he quote unquote did not want to go there. I
think that's a little dramatic. I think that's at that
(24:10):
price tag he did not want to go there, but
it is It's an interesting question of a guy that's
going to be your everyday DH thirty seven I think
during the season will turn thirty seven, turns thirty seven
in August. Okay can work with that. Thirty three homers
(24:34):
last year in eight ninety three ops and he got
called up to the Big Lakes. He was not part
of the Boris four, and now he is because Belly signed.
So probably the most reliable hitter on the market. I
think that's all I've got from kind of this wrap
(24:54):
around of spring training. I guess a little high and
tight waking JK today, Key, we'll be back with Jolliver
doing another rankings list. We'll have to schedule that ourselves,
and hey, I think if there's any other breaking news
with the boris for we might do something here. It
(25:14):
breaking time. It breaking Sunday morning with the belly signing
was kind of not much you can do with that.
It's kind of what were we gonna do with that?
We'll see you Monday is basically what that is. So
I guess I'll ask for some comments comment below if
you're seeing something in spring training you like you so far,
(25:38):
it is the time of eternal hope. Probably too much hope.
I've got Joe's McFly texting me about Luis Terenz. Is
he homered in the first two spring training games or.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
If that's out of options, might might be gone.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
Hey, I guess let me know where the juicy goss
from your team, your your team has come in this
spring training. Uh for now, sorry, it's a shorty story
of my life. But we will see you guys midweek
or if there's any breaking news.
Speaker 2 (26:09):
Jason Domingos took twenty swings HW
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