March 16, 2026 • 11 mins
Our Padres Insider From the UT Kevin Acee Joins Us LIVE From Miami For The WBC. He Gives Us An Update On Joe Musgrove Starting out On The IL And More.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, Kevin, I see our Padres Insouder covering the
WBC this week. Of course, we had that classic last night,
and we'll get a championship game played in the next
day or so, and then of course the Padre is
opening days just so for a week away.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So a lot going on with.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The Padres and Kevin, we appreciate you taking time for us.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
What was last night like for the US.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
And the Dominican and being a part of that atmosphere
in that game.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
The atmosphere was a lot of fun, and I thought
the game was was fantastic. It certainly wasn't perfectly played.
The Dominican had a lot of chances to win, but
I mean the pitching, the defense. I mean we talked
about the offense of the the those two teams and
the offense of the Dominican. A lot of gold glovers
out there, especially there are a lot of gold glovers
(00:47):
the United States and they that's a that's a good team. Yeah.
I'll tell you what, there's not any comparison that any
of us who have seen any type of game, including
World Series games. I'm not saying that it's more important.
I'm not saying the World Series's atmosphere isn't great, because
(01:07):
it is, but in terms of just playing for the
name on the front of your chest that is your country,
and then the fans and the connection between the fans
and the players that especially in a place like the
Dominican and you can just sep the feeling. It's really exciting,
is it.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I'm curious to get your thoughts on this.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Just like the Machado Tatist angle, maybe more Machada than Tatis.
Is it fair to be critical of any one player
in any one game? I mean, it's such a unique event.
This isn't best of even three or five or seven.
It's like, well, this player went one for four. I
mean we're talking about one baseball game against elite pitching.
So like, do you feel like Machado having an opportunity
(01:48):
to come through and failing to do so reinforces a
big game narrative that he's not a clutch player or
is that completely unfair considering the circumstance.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I think it's both. I mean, you know how I
try to see like all the shades of gray, and
I absolutely agree with you, But it's like, yeah, like
it does reinforce the narrative. But like, that's unfair. I
mean this is I mean, look, you give the Dominican
or look, the United States lost to the Italy. Right
do you think in a best of three, at best
of five, a best of seven, they were going to
lose to Italy or if they're in the same division
(02:19):
as Italy, they're going to lose or finish behind Italy.
No chance in the world. And that's why baseball has
as many games as it has, as in you know,
playoff series and one hundred and sixty two game season,
and that should also be how a player is evaluated.
But we are now talking about it being another game
on top of Manny's career, right, Like, so, so I
don't know that it's entirely unfair. Plus you sign up
(02:42):
for it, I mean you know so yeah, and you
know absolutely it's it's fair to put it in context,
and I think it does help provide some context. But
your point, and you know that it's my point. You've
known me long enough that small sample sizes and losing
(03:02):
our minds over that, you know it's not right.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, I completely agree with that.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I think everything is like you know, certain things are
black and white, but a lot of things in sports
are gray and there's some again, there's some nuance to
what's playing out in something like the WBC. Kevin I
Cy's with us right now. In San Diego Sports seven sixty.
You've been reporting on Joe Muscrove likely starting the year
on the IL for multiple days, but now it's become
closer to officially official from Craig Stammon, what's the overall
impact here to start the year Again, we've known that
(03:30):
this is a possibility for more than just a few
hours at this point. What will it ultimately mean for
the Padres as they break camp and start the season?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Theoretically, right, it opens up another rotation spot, and that's
something that they've been aware of for seven days or so.
He's seven to ten days that Okay, well, it looks
like we's what we're gonna have to do. But does
it open up another rotation spot or do they go
with four starters and rely on their bullpen and that's
easier done then you would think, given that they have
(04:02):
a day off in day four of the season, day
eight of the season, and they have a really strong bullpen.
They have some guys who pitched really well for multiple innings.
Kyle Hart logan glass detail recently Jackson Wolf, you could
have Harman Marquez added to your bullpen or have him
be a starter on a really short leash. But you know,
(04:25):
those days off and their strong bullpen give them some
options to be creative. I mean, I've mapped it out
where they can be creative for the seasons first month,
but everything would have to go right, as in, you know,
one of their starters, they're established guys can't go three
innings or they certainly can't have two short starts in
a row, and then you know they could actually make
(04:47):
it through like the season's first month with four starters.
They're not going to do that. That's not how it goes,
and that does set them up for catastrophic failure in
terms of overworking your bullpen, which they're just not going
to do. But they do creativity at least for say
the first ten games or so.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Is it one of those things where and I know
I probably talked to you about it just a few
days ago, but is it one of those things where
you just kind of don't know with Musgrove in terms
of what comes next? Is and as Noboy's gonna say,
oh my gosh, his season's lost. That's not the point.
My issue always with guys coming off Tom of John
is that it's hard to trust their level of consistency,
and it just feels like that's where we're heading in
twenty twenty six. Maybe with Joe Muscove, maybe it's prettmature
(05:26):
to say that.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Right, No, this reinforces that, right, like it was always
a well, you know what at some point, you know,
first off, the performance might not be great, or there
might be some real peaks and valleys, but oh boy,
now it's like the start of the season where he
is not feeling right and and so now it's kind
of like, well I phrased it is like it's not
(05:48):
a big deal, but it certainly is not ideal, Like
this is like the fact that it's at the beginning
of the season, just like I said, does reinforce that, well, boy,
we don't know what we're doing can get from Joe Muffins.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, again, not overly encouraging, but again it's hard to
really know it's true impact until we get going and
see what he can do or provide.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
This year.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I saw that you had quote tweeted something from your
colleague Jan Van Grove, Right, And I know you and
I have talked about this a lot, the idea that
the Padres obviously are on the verge of being sold,
and you know, the calm nerves nobody wants to ever
envision a world where the San Diego Padres are leaving
San Diego.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We still feel the same way, right.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That San Diego is a big piece of the purchase
that's coming in the future, that it's important to be
in San Diego, based on all those things we've talked
about Petco Park fan support market, there's no reason for concern, right,
there is.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Zero reason for concern. Now, I want to say this,
like ten years from now, like they have let the
thing go to crap and we're back to a situation where,
you know, fifteen thousand people show enough to watch them
play the White Sox on a Tuesday or something. And
but like I'm just you know what i mean, I'm
telling you in telling you that like this apocalyptic world,
(07:09):
I'm reinforcing like that's so far from what they are
now and what you would think they would be allowed
to be again with a new owner with even more
money you know, coming in, Like no no, absolutely, I
mean it's just impossible. You know, here we know we
want to know how far fetched it is. Jen reported
(07:29):
that they could opt out in thirty one, I believe
in twenty thirty one, but Padres didn't even know that.
They thought it was thirty three. But based on what
I guess the city has paid back, I believe it
is that like now that because that's what it's tied to, right,
it's twenty thirty three, but it's based on you know,
the bonds being paid off and all that, it's twenty
(07:52):
thirty one. Now Padres just and had I think I
had reported before like that, The Padres don't even haven't
even looked at their leaks, like they it's not a
thing that has been a part of the new owner's
due diligence in terms of, hey, what's our in terms
of that portion of it, like, hey, what's our possibility
to leave? Right? But then in her reporting she finds
out this and and I believe that that's where the
(08:14):
body is found out or maybe when she was asking
about it as it came up. But like the point being,
they just aren't concerned about this, and the new owners aren't.
There's there's so many reasons that it's preposterous. But the
reason that I'm going on and on about it is
because I do get it. I mean, look what happened
with the Chargers, And look, I was wrong about the
(08:35):
Chargers as a colonists. Back then there was virtually no
one in the NFL thought they were moving, and then
these span hos up and moved, so like by by
virtual of that I was wrong even though and I'm
not going to give away like sources, but like the
highest levels of the NFL, Oh no, this isn't gonna happen.
We're gonna figure it out. Nope, these fanels left so boom,
(08:58):
Oh my gosh, it could happen here again. No, it
would be It's like comparing apples and bricks.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah, I think it's well said. I think it's well said.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
It's not something I don't think Padrews fans should be
losing sleep over. That you might want to lose sleepover,
like Joe Musgrove right now, But it's nobody can predict
the future, and like you said, nobody can look ten
plus years down the road.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You're reporting on Mason.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Mason Miller's been incredible, as we've seen in a Padrew's
uniform and obviously play out now for Team USA. Is
he going to be available for this this final game?
And I mean this is just ridiculous, right the stat
that hitters are zero for fifty with thirty minute strikeouts
against Mason Miller since September eighth. I mean, this guy's
on like another planet right now.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah, he is to be who he is, and the
pitching's ahead of hitting right now, right like you know,
all things considered unless you're some single a kid pitching
for Israel against Brnando Tatis Junior. But like this is
you know, this is Mason Miller, Like you know, he's
just light years ahead. The Padres game planned all this
(10:00):
out with themselves, with Mason Miller, with the US before, right,
Like you look at the schedule and you go, hey,
that's the possibility that that guy can pitch three times
in five days. Are we going to be okay with that? Yeah,
you know what, We're okay with that, But we need
Mason Miller to be honest about it, you know, like
at the time. So I do think that to a
certain extent, while it looks like he's going to from
(10:21):
everybody that I've talked to be available to pitch tomorrow
in the championship game. That you know, Mason Miller could
wake up tomorrow and go, hey, you know, I don't know,
this is a little different or something like that. Or
he could go warm up and be like, huh no,
this is a little different. Now. One of the chances
of that happening. This guy all geeked up to pitch
the championship game for the United States. But the Padres
(10:42):
have been completely cool with that because they have already
like looked ahead and said, yeah, look he started throwing
three weeks early, you know, and and he's all good.
But hey, like every reliever, you're gonna you're gonna hold
out a little bit that says how do they feel
at game time?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Well, it's gonna be I mean again, he's been such
an important piece and we'll see if he closes the
door potentially on a Team USA title in the twenty
twenty six WBC. Kevin appreciates you taking time save travels
this week. And it's crazy that we're a week out right,
I mean a week out from opening day or just
over and it's kind of insane, that really is.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
But that's how it does spring training sneaks up on you,
and then the season doesn't. If you are at spring
training for six weeks good, all of a sudden, it's
kind of like, oh my gosh, wow, and I get
super excited. I get to do all my my staff
books already. I'm going to be fired up when I
get back on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
All right, safe travels again, and we'll catch up later
in the week. And thank you for thanks for hoping on.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
All right,
All right, Kevin, I see our Padres Insouder covering the
WBC this week. Of course, we had that classic last night,
and we'll get a championship game played in the next
day or so, and then of course the Padre is
opening days just so for a week away.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
So a lot going on with.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
The Padres and Kevin, we appreciate you taking time for us.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
What was last night like for the US.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
And the Dominican and being a part of that atmosphere
in that game.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (00:26):
The atmosphere was a lot of fun, and I thought
the game was was fantastic. It certainly wasn't perfectly played.
The Dominican had a lot of chances to win, but
I mean the pitching, the defense. I mean we talked
about the offense of the the those two teams and
the offense of the Dominican. A lot of gold glovers
out there, especially there are a lot of gold glovers
(00:47):
the United States and they that's a that's a good team. Yeah.
I'll tell you what, there's not any comparison that any
of us who have seen any type of game, including
World Series games. I'm not saying that it's more important.
I'm not saying the World Series's atmosphere isn't great, because
(01:07):
it is, but in terms of just playing for the
name on the front of your chest that is your country,
and then the fans and the connection between the fans
and the players that especially in a place like the
Dominican and you can just sep the feeling. It's really exciting,
is it.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
I'm curious to get your thoughts on this.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Just like the Machado Tatist angle, maybe more Machada than Tatis.
Is it fair to be critical of any one player
in any one game? I mean, it's such a unique event.
This isn't best of even three or five or seven.
It's like, well, this player went one for four. I
mean we're talking about one baseball game against elite pitching.
So like, do you feel like Machado having an opportunity
(01:48):
to come through and failing to do so reinforces a
big game narrative that he's not a clutch player or
is that completely unfair considering the circumstance.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
I think it's both. I mean, you know how I
try to see like all the shades of gray, and
I absolutely agree with you, But it's like, yeah, like
it does reinforce the narrative. But like, that's unfair. I
mean this is I mean, look, you give the Dominican
or look, the United States lost to the Italy. Right
do you think in a best of three, at best
of five, a best of seven, they were going to
lose to Italy or if they're in the same division
(02:19):
as Italy, they're going to lose or finish behind Italy.
No chance in the world. And that's why baseball has
as many games as it has, as in you know,
playoff series and one hundred and sixty two game season,
and that should also be how a player is evaluated.
But we are now talking about it being another game
on top of Manny's career, right, Like, so, so I
don't know that it's entirely unfair. Plus you sign up
(02:42):
for it, I mean you know so yeah, and you
know absolutely it's it's fair to put it in context,
and I think it does help provide some context. But
your point, and you know that it's my point. You've
known me long enough that small sample sizes and losing
(03:02):
our minds over that, you know it's not right.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Yeah, I completely agree with that.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
I think everything is like you know, certain things are
black and white, but a lot of things in sports
are gray and there's some again, there's some nuance to
what's playing out in something like the WBC. Kevin I
Cy's with us right now. In San Diego Sports seven sixty.
You've been reporting on Joe Muscrove likely starting the year
on the IL for multiple days, but now it's become
closer to officially official from Craig Stammon, what's the overall
impact here to start the year Again, we've known that
(03:30):
this is a possibility for more than just a few
hours at this point. What will it ultimately mean for
the Padres as they break camp and start the season?
Speaker 3 (03:39):
Theoretically, right, it opens up another rotation spot, and that's
something that they've been aware of for seven days or so.
He's seven to ten days that Okay, well, it looks
like we's what we're gonna have to do. But does
it open up another rotation spot or do they go
with four starters and rely on their bullpen and that's
easier done then you would think, given that they have
(04:02):
a day off in day four of the season, day
eight of the season, and they have a really strong bullpen.
They have some guys who pitched really well for multiple innings.
Kyle Hart logan glass detail recently Jackson Wolf, you could
have Harman Marquez added to your bullpen or have him
be a starter on a really short leash. But you know,
(04:25):
those days off and their strong bullpen give them some
options to be creative. I mean, I've mapped it out
where they can be creative for the seasons first month,
but everything would have to go right, as in, you know,
one of their starters, they're established guys can't go three
innings or they certainly can't have two short starts in
a row, and then you know they could actually make
(04:47):
it through like the season's first month with four starters.
They're not going to do that. That's not how it goes,
and that does set them up for catastrophic failure in
terms of overworking your bullpen, which they're just not going
to do. But they do creativity at least for say
the first ten games or so.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Is it one of those things where and I know
I probably talked to you about it just a few
days ago, but is it one of those things where
you just kind of don't know with Musgrove in terms
of what comes next? Is and as Noboy's gonna say,
oh my gosh, his season's lost. That's not the point.
My issue always with guys coming off Tom of John
is that it's hard to trust their level of consistency,
and it just feels like that's where we're heading in
twenty twenty six. Maybe with Joe Muscove, maybe it's prettmature
(05:26):
to say that.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Right, No, this reinforces that, right, like it was always
a well, you know what at some point, you know,
first off, the performance might not be great, or there
might be some real peaks and valleys, but oh boy,
now it's like the start of the season where he
is not feeling right and and so now it's kind
of like, well I phrased it is like it's not
(05:48):
a big deal, but it certainly is not ideal, Like
this is like the fact that it's at the beginning
of the season, just like I said, does reinforce that, well, boy,
we don't know what we're doing can get from Joe Muffins.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, again, not overly encouraging, but again it's hard to
really know it's true impact until we get going and
see what he can do or provide.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
This year.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
I saw that you had quote tweeted something from your
colleague Jan Van Grove, Right, And I know you and
I have talked about this a lot, the idea that
the Padres obviously are on the verge of being sold,
and you know, the calm nerves nobody wants to ever
envision a world where the San Diego Padres are leaving
San Diego.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
We still feel the same way, right.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
That San Diego is a big piece of the purchase
that's coming in the future, that it's important to be
in San Diego, based on all those things we've talked
about Petco Park fan support market, there's no reason for concern, right,
there is.
Speaker 3 (06:46):
Zero reason for concern. Now, I want to say this,
like ten years from now, like they have let the
thing go to crap and we're back to a situation where,
you know, fifteen thousand people show enough to watch them
play the White Sox on a Tuesday or something. And
but like I'm just you know what i mean, I'm
telling you in telling you that like this apocalyptic world,
(07:09):
I'm reinforcing like that's so far from what they are
now and what you would think they would be allowed
to be again with a new owner with even more
money you know, coming in, Like no no, absolutely, I
mean it's just impossible. You know, here we know we
want to know how far fetched it is. Jen reported
(07:29):
that they could opt out in thirty one, I believe
in twenty thirty one, but Padres didn't even know that.
They thought it was thirty three. But based on what
I guess the city has paid back, I believe it
is that like now that because that's what it's tied to, right,
it's twenty thirty three, but it's based on you know,
the bonds being paid off and all that, it's twenty
(07:52):
thirty one. Now Padres just and had I think I
had reported before like that, The Padres don't even haven't
even looked at their leaks, like they it's not a
thing that has been a part of the new owner's
due diligence in terms of, hey, what's our in terms
of that portion of it, like, hey, what's our possibility
to leave? Right? But then in her reporting she finds
out this and and I believe that that's where the
(08:14):
body is found out or maybe when she was asking
about it as it came up. But like the point being,
they just aren't concerned about this, and the new owners aren't.
There's there's so many reasons that it's preposterous. But the
reason that I'm going on and on about it is
because I do get it. I mean, look what happened
with the Chargers, And look, I was wrong about the
(08:35):
Chargers as a colonists. Back then there was virtually no
one in the NFL thought they were moving, and then
these span hos up and moved, so like by by
virtual of that I was wrong even though and I'm
not going to give away like sources, but like the
highest levels of the NFL, Oh no, this isn't gonna happen.
We're gonna figure it out. Nope, these fanels left so boom,
(08:58):
Oh my gosh, it could happen here again. No, it
would be It's like comparing apples and bricks.
Speaker 2 (09:05):
Yeah, I think it's well said. I think it's well said.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
It's not something I don't think Padrews fans should be
losing sleep over. That you might want to lose sleepover,
like Joe Musgrove right now, But it's nobody can predict
the future, and like you said, nobody can look ten
plus years down the road.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
You're reporting on Mason.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Mason Miller's been incredible, as we've seen in a Padrew's
uniform and obviously play out now for Team USA. Is
he going to be available for this this final game?
And I mean this is just ridiculous, right the stat
that hitters are zero for fifty with thirty minute strikeouts
against Mason Miller since September eighth. I mean, this guy's
on like another planet right now.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Yeah, he is to be who he is, and the
pitching's ahead of hitting right now, right like you know,
all things considered unless you're some single a kid pitching
for Israel against Brnando Tatis Junior. But like this is
you know, this is Mason Miller, Like you know, he's
just light years ahead. The Padres game planned all this
(10:00):
out with themselves, with Mason Miller, with the US before, right,
Like you look at the schedule and you go, hey,
that's the possibility that that guy can pitch three times
in five days. Are we going to be okay with that? Yeah,
you know what, We're okay with that, But we need
Mason Miller to be honest about it, you know, like
at the time. So I do think that to a
certain extent, while it looks like he's going to from
(10:21):
everybody that I've talked to be available to pitch tomorrow
in the championship game. That you know, Mason Miller could
wake up tomorrow and go, hey, you know, I don't know,
this is a little different or something like that. Or
he could go warm up and be like, huh no,
this is a little different. Now. One of the chances
of that happening. This guy all geeked up to pitch
the championship game for the United States. But the Padres
(10:42):
have been completely cool with that because they have already
like looked ahead and said, yeah, look he started throwing
three weeks early, you know, and and he's all good.
But hey, like every reliever, you're gonna you're gonna hold
out a little bit that says how do they feel
at game time?
Speaker 1 (11:00):
Well, it's gonna be I mean again, he's been such
an important piece and we'll see if he closes the
door potentially on a Team USA title in the twenty
twenty six WBC. Kevin appreciates you taking time save travels
this week. And it's crazy that we're a week out right,
I mean a week out from opening day or just
over and it's kind of insane, that really is.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
But that's how it does spring training sneaks up on you,
and then the season doesn't. If you are at spring
training for six weeks good, all of a sudden, it's
kind of like, oh my gosh, wow, and I get
super excited. I get to do all my my staff
books already. I'm going to be fired up when I
get back on Wednesday.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
All right, safe travels again, and we'll catch up later
in the week. And thank you for thanks for hoping on.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
All right,
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