November 17, 2025 • 47 mins
Alanna Rizzo is BACK! Alanna and Clint Pasillas catch up on all things Los Angeles Dodgers since she's been gone (1:08), including her World Series feelings, Shohei Ohtani's MVP (5:55), and more!
The hosts also dive into the offseason, including the Dodgers swinging a minor trade (12:08), Kiké Hernandez's elbow surgery (14:19), and the latest rumors with Devin Williams and how he fits the team (19:09).
Plus, Alanna and Clint's bold offseason predictions (24:14)! Will the Dodgers be players in the Steven Kwan market? How deep into Kyle Tucker's free agency will they dive? Could a Cody Bellinger reunion make sense?
Get 15% off The Perfect Jean with the code FOUL15 at theperfectjean.nyc/FOUL15 #theperfectjeanpod
Check out DT merch at dodgersterritoryshop.com
Support Guidry's Guardian at guidrysguardian.org
Find Clint on YouTube at youtube.com/@alldodgers
Subscribe to Dodgers Territory on YouTube
Rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Devin Williams is a name that continues to come up
for a lot of teams, but I think it would
probably possibly make sense for the Dodgers because I am
sick and tired of the revolving door that is the Dodgers' bullpen.
(00:23):
What up, everybody, and welcome to a brand new episode
of Dodgers' Territory In case you forgot My name is
Alana Rizzo alongside my co host Clint Passia.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Is so good to be back with you guys. Thanks
for being here. Rate us five stars. Like to subscribe all.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Of the things you can catch our merchandise. We'll talk
about that in a hot second. We want to get
to fifteen thousand subscribers. Guys, help us get there, won't
you pars about Territory Network. We're so happy to be
with you guys for another off season as we get
ready for the twenty and twenty six season.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hopefully a three feet is in the works.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Before we get to the stuff, Clint, let's catch up
with each other and our fans on the big ticket.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
All right. Since you've been gone, or since I've been gone.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, I mean I was I was fine while you're gone,
but it's good.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Good to have you back.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We were trolling away doing all of the work, doing
all of the things.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But since I was gone, I had a great trip.
Thanks for obviously.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Scott Gearman and Jack Harris for filling in anybody else
that I missed, Thanks for thanks for filling in for me.
So Maggi Row was the hero. Let's talk about the
World Series real because I was actually on a plane.
I watched the majority of the game at the airport
in Logan. Then I was on the plane getting texts
(01:48):
messages from Jill Painter Lopez. She was giving me the
play by play of what was going on, and then
obviously Meggie Row with the home run and all of
the things. And I couldn't yell at the top of
my lungs on the plane, but I was very excited,
and uh what what an unbelievable thing, right, It's so
difficult to go back to back in this great sport
(02:09):
of ours, and the Dodgers did it. And you know,
what else can you say about this team other than
they're freaking good and I'm so psyched for them.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I think just.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Watching what everybody was talking about, I feel like the
parade this year in LA was better than last year's parade,
and I'm just super psyched. Migey Rowe the hero, Will
Smith the hero, and more than anybody was your dude,
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the guy that you said Clint at the
beginning of the year was going to be the cy
Young Award winner.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
It could have been. He didn't get it, but he
was damn near.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
A world series. I take a world series.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Over a cy Young, right, just incredible. And I tried
to send you guys a message from the plane. It
didn't go through whatever, whatever, but freaking great.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
The important thing is, uh, you know the things we
talked about leading up to that Game seven. You know,
you're the person who kept telling everybody it's going to
be great, everything's going to be It was stressful as shit,
but everything eventually was great. For sure. You mentioned Miguel
Rojas with the heroics there, and the ninth inning, both
sides of the ball, and the ninth inning, of course,
(03:17):
the homer, the very unlikely game tying homer off of
Jeff run your mouth. Hoffman makes that play to cut
down Isaiah Kinder for Lafa in the bottom of the
ninth to send it to X ratings. Will Smith is
inevitable at some point, and then Yoshi no Yamamoto, whatever
they're paying him, it ain't enough because my boy got
(03:38):
the job.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
THREEANDERD twenty five millions not enough.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I mean, whatever, you know, I tell you what when
when Andy Pah has caught that ball and Kiki Hernandez
didn't know that he caught it, and then he was
like saying, oh my god, I just lost this the
World Series and Andy's like, what are you talking about, bro,
I caught it.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I mean I was listening to kik On.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I don't know if it was Mookie's podcast or whatever
it was, but he was talking about that moment. Oh
maybe he was on Jimmy Fallon that's where he was
talking about it. But I think it was what an
unbelievable turn of events. And again it was like the
fifth inning of Game five last year. That kind of
was like Game seven of this World Series where they
had some defensive miscues and just you know, Jeff Hoffman,
(04:16):
I don't think that it was a bad pitch. I
just think that Miggie did a great job. It was
a great at bat, and again kind of an unlikely hero.
In that moment, you think about the Dodgers roster, Clint,
you think, like, all right, I could see Freddy doing that.
I could see Shohey of course doing that. I could
see Will Smith doing that. I could see Max Munsey
doing that. I could see Key Gay doing that, just
because of what a postseason hero Key k is. But
(04:38):
it was Miguel Rojas. And this was a guy that
we thought that was going to retire at the end
of the season. More on that in a moment, but
the fact that it was him, a guy that just
really understands his role to be able to come in
to force the issue and force extra innings in a
Game seven.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Of a World Series.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I don't know that the And I'm not just saying
this because we're Dodgers fans, Okay, yeah, I think so
many people, not even Dodger related, we're saying that this
was one of the best World Series they have seen
in quite some time. That's all you want, right You
wanted to go to Game seven. I know, as a
Dodger fan you probably like, No. Four in a row,
let's just get this shit done. But you want as
a sports fan, you wanted to go to Game seven.
(05:20):
You wanted to go to extra innings. You want it
to matter, and every moment you're holding your breath. And
that's exactly what they got this year. I told you,
I told you it's going to be great, gonna.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Be great, and eventually got great. You know the bullpen
bottle over here. It took a couple of hits along
the way. And surviving that that Game seven, and surviving
the postseason, I mean, that's a lie. I didn't really
drink during the postseason because I'm trying to make the
show not god awful. But they survived. We survived. The
Dodgers did good, and like you said, now they're trying
(05:51):
to run it forward, trying to run it back for
a third time in a row. The other piece of news,
since you've been gone, and since I was live on
Thursday with Jack Harris SHOWI Otani, how about that MVP
once again? Two years in a row as a Dodger,
you get a title, you get an MVP. I can
get used to that, Alana.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I'm sure Shohey can get used to that as well.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
His fourth MVP award in five years and all of
them unanimous. As Alden Gonzalez pointed that out as well,
But I mean, look at what he continues to do.
It's just stupefying what he is able to accomplish. If
you can throw that tweet from Alden back up, if
you don't mind all of what he's been able to do.
He's the first player in all four major sports to
(06:34):
win both an MVP and a championship in each of
his first two seasons with the team.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
According to ESPN research. That's just dumb.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
It's like, it's not that easy, right, He probably just like, Ah,
all I had to do is come to LA. I mean,
he has so many more supportive, much more supporting cast
now in Los Angeles than he did in Anaheim.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
But man, he's good.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I just don't want this to become a situation where
it's just a given every year, right, it's like, oh yeah,
show hey until there's another award or you allow co MVPs.
I don't know who else in the National League could
have gotten it in comparison to Show Hey. I mean,
I think there was much more of a close race,
obviously in the American League. I still believe cal Rawley
should have gotten the American League MVP. Not that I'm
(07:16):
trying to take anything away from Aaron Judge, but show
Hey didn't have a ton of competition, right, I mean,
when you pitch and hit, it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Be very difficult.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
If he does it at a quality level, which he did,
and he did it in the postseason, you know, ten strikeouts,
three home run game. I know the award is voted
on prior to the postseason, but who else is ever
going to win this award?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I don't know. I mean at some point you feel
you worry there is going to be the whole you know,
voter fatigue when it comes to show Hey Otani. I
was assuming there would be a little bit of voter
fatigue with Aaron Judge in the American League this time,
thankfully not. I mean, he put up a phenomenal year.
My vote would have went to Cal Rawley if I
was allowed to vote. I'm not I'm not that important.
(08:01):
But until somebody else can pitch and hit at the
level that he can. And by the way, he said
after his MVP that he plans on being ready to
pitch from the start of the year to the end
of the year. He's going to be on that mound,
hopefully going out there for you know, twenty five thirty
starts until somebody else can do that. This is show
(08:23):
Hayes Award, and there's a good chance, I mean, this
is a guy Alta. We need to ask the question,
is this somebody who is going to pass Barry Bonds
on that MVP? You know all of.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Mr Sarry has seven, right, Barry has seven MVPs. Yeah,
I don't see how you can. I mean, show Hey's
still very young in his career. Barry obviously was Whatever
you want to say about Barry Bonds asterisk, no askarisk asterisk.
I think Barry Bonds was a Hall of Famer in
Pittsburgh even before all of the speculation and all the
giant shit and all all of that stuff. Sho He
(08:55):
Otani unless something catastrophic happens, I certainly hope not. But
as long as show Hey Otani is on both sides
of the ball and performs even at a at a
minimal level of what he's doing, he's the MVP. There's
no there's nobody else that can compete. And I know
that Jan Soto was in the conversation Kyle Schwarber both
(09:16):
good year Schwarber phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Right, Soto great, but they don't pitch.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And until until he's going to have like legitimate competition
on both sides of the ball, I don't see how
he doesn't unless he has a horrible year either.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Way, you know what I mean, anybody else could win.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Yeah, if he's out there healthy and getting into one
hundred and sixty games, you know, pitching at least fifteen games,
he's going to be your nl MVP for a possibly
the majority, if not all of his Dodgers contracted. I'm okay.
I'm okay with that.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
No question, I don't, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And again, until somebody can even come close to what
he's doing, I think the award is his. A couple
of other things that you wanted to bring up. If
we talk about this, are we doing that now?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Or what are we doing about this?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Let's take a little bit of a break and then
we'll get into the real stuff. We've caught up. That's
all we needed to do. Right.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Good to see you if we're all set. I went
on a safari, I saw some stuff. Dodgers won the
World Series, and we're caught up here.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We are. Yeah, you weren't trampled. That's the important thing.
Is just still more Dodgers' Territory to come. The first
of the word from our friends at Foul Territory.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
AJ, We're going to do things a little bit differently here.
I am wearing the Perfect Gene and I remember seeing
ads for the Perfect Gene, like most comfortable fit ever,
perfect fit on your body, and I was like, I'm
not buying it. Now I'm buying it, and we're showing
it off on FT.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Please get off my desk. First of all, Scott. Second
of all, I was with you. I was skeptical about
perfect Gene and then I got a pair and the
fitting was perfect. And my body is not hard to
fix is I got a big old rear and big
old legs from years of squatting, and they fit perfectly.
They're stretchy, they're comfortable, they're fashionable.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
They're everything I look for in a gene.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And now I have an extra pair and I'm gonna
wear them all the time.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Foul fifteen is the code at the Perfect Gen dot NYC.
FT listeners get fifteen percent off your first order, plus
free shipping, free returns, and free exchanges when you use
code fou L one five at checkout. That's fifteen percent
off for new customers at the Perfect Gen dot n
my C with promo code foul fifteen. After your purchase,
they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support
the show and tell them Foul Territory sent you.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Welcome back to Dodger's Territory here on this What is
it Monday? I think it's a Monday, Yeah, the seventeenth.
If you guys are looking, as Alana said at the
top of the show, looking for a way to support us,
besides just watching, subscribing, clicking that like button sharing to
your friends, your grandma, your dog. Check out the store
Dodgers Territory shop dot com. It's it is hoodie season,
(11:50):
Alana said. It as cold as balls over there back home.
Get gotta get that beanie going there. There's a whole
bunch of stuff. It directly supports me, Alana. The fine
people here that put on, you know, a show with
Dodgers Territory, Foul Territory, YadA YadA, scan that QR code,
buy some stuff a lot. There's been more news since
(12:11):
you've been gone and all that kind of stuff, and
even since I was last live. Let's talk about the
trade that happened on Sunday, the Dodgers make a move
to clear essentially clear roster space on the forty man roster,
trading away minor league well, I guess not minor league
forty man reliever Robinson Ortiz, who they had just added
to the forty man roster. They trade him. They sent
(12:33):
him to Seattle for an off forty man reliever, basically
a lottery ticket, because they are in dire need of
forty men roster space, especially if they want to bring
anybody back. In a little bit. We're going to get
into our our off season prediction, So gonna stay tuned
and tell us how wrong we are. But yeah, the
most important part of this move is, yeah, lottery ticket.
(12:55):
You add a reliever and it clears roster space. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
This is not the leverage arm that they're looking for, right, Like,
this is just somebody where it's like, let's uh, we
got to make some moves because if they're gonna do
anything in the off season, I don't know that it's
going to be starting pitching wise, just because you figure
that they're going to have everybody back, right hopefully. I
I we'll get into this about what I think needs
(13:20):
what we think needs to happen in the closer situation
and the whole Devin Williams rumors and all of those things.
But this is just this is semantics. This is just
moving the pieces around. This is neither here nor there.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I think we can move on. I couldn't. I really
could not far less about this move.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, it's not it's not going to be the move
of the off season, but it is definitely one move.
And we also have breaking news from Scott Braun. He
wears shorts most of the time.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, somebody just said that he probably wore shorts to
his own wedding this weekend.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I don't think he did. I don't think. I don't
think Emma would have allowed that. Maybe they were like
tucks shorts.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
But by the way, graduations to my little brother Scott
Braun and his beautiful bride on their nuptsholes.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's about damn times.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Listen, you guys know my stance on marriage. But congrats
to Scott, uh, Scotty Scotty Braun there and the new
missus Scotty Braun. That is pretty awesome. Hey, let's talk
about our friend, your friend Keik Hernandez had a little
bit of surgery on that elbow a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So what's funny about how this all went down is
Dave Vessay was saying that Kik was basically ambushed at
the airport, So somebody recognized Kik at the airport, which
I mean, I can understand why he's very popular, and
he was in a sling, So that begs the question,
why are you in a sling?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, he had to have off season surgery.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I guess he hurt the elbow early on in May,
played through it, had to have surgery. So he's going
to be fined for whatever team is his employer in
twenty twenty six, hopefully it's the Dodger's more on that
in a moment. But he's not playing for the World
Baseball Classic obviously, which is a bummer because Kyk is
a huge influx of personality and that he is the
(15:09):
biggest guy that you want in big moments, and the
whole WBC is a big moment. So that's a bummer
for him because I know he loves representing Team Puerto Rico.
It's a bummer for the fans. But he obviously has
to be ready for the regular season with whomever that
is going to be.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
But he needs to be ready for October. Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
He does. But I don't think you can just sign
him for October. I mean, I've told you this a
thousand times. I'll say it a thousand more times. I don't
care if he's oh for the regular season. I want
him on my roster as anything, as a as a
hype man, as a bench player, as a janitor, I
don't care. But come the postseason, Kyk is in the
lineup every day period. End of story.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah, I do wonder if this is a move that
that changes his market. Well, let's talk about the ambush thing.
I don't know if you saw the video, but there
was some random dude at the airport who kind of
wouldn't leave him alone and like followed him around and
you know, up through the ask later and all that.
That's like, leave the man alone for one for the
love of God, leave the man alone. But beyond that,
(16:07):
I do wonder if he would have posted anything about
the surgery if that video did not come out.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Does anybody know if this was like a TMZ kind
of guy or was this just like a fanboy kind
of guy.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I could get wrong.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Man like running around another grown ass Man in the airport,
which I will never understand that.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Yeah, I think it was more leaning towards grown ass
Man than the professionals over at TMZ, but it was
definitely giving big TMZ injury. It's worth noting the numbers
for Kik before that injury to after that injury pretty stark,
small sample size on both sides. He did miss a
couple of months on the il with that elbow. I
(16:46):
kind of had forgot that. It nearly knocked him out
for the season. But the big numbers there, the average
was never good, but the big numbers seven forty one
ops before that injury, with a couple of bombas, seven homers,
five thirteen after the injury. There's something to that. I mean,
it is your lead elbow and if it's this extender
tendon or whatever it was that was surgically repaired, Apparently
(17:08):
by the time he got to the end of the
postseason it completely tore from the bone as opposed to
it being partially torn through the majority of the season.
Aggravated it in the National League Championship Series.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I hope he aggravated it picking up the trophy. You
know what, You'll take it. Everyone Everyone's heard at that point, right,
I mean a K was legitimately injured. I mean, think
of what Freddy Freeman played through last year, you know,
so I just I hope that it heals well. I mean,
remember coming into this offseason or coming into the season
this year, he had the grond, you know, the sports
(17:40):
heurney of surgery and.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
All of that.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Stuffy guys, these guys are not immune to going under
the knife. That's just part of the part of the drill,
part of the game. But I don't know, I mean,
does does that change his market?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I guess it all depends on when he's going to
be ready, you know, when, and what teams need him.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Yeah, I mean the Dodgers can use them. I've I've
kind of I said a couple of weeks ago that
I don't think the Dodgers can re sign both Miguel
Rojas and Keiky Hernandez. Miguel Rojas has let it known,
let it be known that he wants to come back desperately.
I think they can find a way to make that move.
I think they would have found a way to make
that move happen already if there was any sort of
(18:19):
space on the forty man roster they can play with.
But I'm assuming now I kind of had the gut
feeling now that Miggey Rowe probably happens closer to spring
training after all of the pomp and circumstance of the offseason.
We've seen it with Clayton Kershaw in the past. That
kind of staff give them some opportunity.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
I agree. I think they wait and see, like how
ready Keik is.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I don't, and we'll we can talk about this later
coming up in our No strict Dumbass segment with you
as the headliner of that. Of course, I don't think
that they sign them both. I think that they wait
and see how key K heels. I mean, if key
K isn't in their legitimate plans. I mean, both guys
have said that they pretty much only want to play
for LA.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Miguel Rojas said that he wants to come back with
an opportunity to repeat, so so we'll see what happens
there before we get to that, though there is some
this is an interesting closer market coming in. It reminds
me and I talked about this a little bit on
foul Territory. I was filling in for Scott Brown. I
think this closer market Clint is very reminiscent of the
(19:22):
shortstop market two or three years ago, when there were
remember when like when Carlos Correa, Trevor's story, Xander, Yeah,
Dansby Swanson.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Like like for really really good.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I think Lindor was before that, but like really high
quality shortstop, defensive shortstops, all in the all in the
free agent market. At the same time, I kind of
feel like that is this year's closer market. Devin Williams
is a name that continues to come up for a
lot of teams, but I think it would probably possibly
(19:55):
make sense for the Dodgers because I am sick and
tired of the revolving door that is the Dodgers' bullpen
and the Dodgers' closing role, which is such a different
conversation than you and I had at spring training this
year when we're like, oh my gosh, we talked to
Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott and YadA, YadA, YadA, and
you know, we're like, wow, we have ten closers.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And then it was like this is so awful. This
is not amazing, Like nobody's working out. This doesn't work.
We lose Evan Phillips. You know, we lost Blake trnin
for quite some time. He came back, he wasn't as
effective as he was in twenty twenty four. In terms
of the postseason. Tanner Scott, we know we had that surgery.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The whole thing.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Kirby Yates wasn't as successful as we needed them to be.
I don't like this revolving door bs. Devin Willims makes
some sense to me.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
What about you?
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Oh? Absolutely, I mean, we know the interest is going
to be there. We'll talk more about Devin Williams in
a little bit spoiler he will be part of Noster
dummass there. But yeah, this is a guy that the
Dodgers have been linked to him over the last couple
of years. Obviously, there was almost a trade in place
a year ago to bring him from Milwaukee to the Dodgers.
(21:03):
Ultimately they ended up going to Tanner Scott route because
he was traded. Devin Williams was traded to the Yankees.
Did not have a great season in New York by
any stretch of the imagination. But I don't know if
I buy in so much the idea that they need
a closer, but they are one hundred percent need high leverage,
like somebody a right hander, a high leverage right hander
(21:25):
that can get the job done at the back end
of the bullpen. Because you know, you mentioned Blake Trina
did not have a great season. He's getting long in
the tooth now thirty eight. He'll be pitching it at
age thirty eight in twenty twenty six, in the second
and final year of his deal. Which is it is
insane to look at the Baseball Reference of Blake Tryon
and see that he's entering his eighth I think it's
(21:45):
eighth season with the Dodgers. Ludicrous to think of how
long he's been here. Really, yeah, it's it's it's pretty nutty.
But I think this is more about they don't necessarily
need a closer, because I've said it and I'll stand.
I'll die on the sale. Dave Roberts's better manager when
he doesn't have a closer, at least in the postseason.
But they need somebody who can get the lion's share
(22:06):
of ninth inning opportunities and is just plainly alights arm.
Lights that arm, which we know Devin Williams is because
you know, the All Star berths. The numbers tell you
that much. That Airbender is disgusting, and it still canna
be good, maybe even better in a Dodger uniform.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
A man.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
I think Devin Williams makes a lot of sense, and
the reason is I think his performance are lack there of,
or lack there of in terms of production for the
Yankees was an anomaly. I don't think the Yankees numbers
this year. I think that was kind of It was
a down year. And I do think that there's something
to be said about pitching in the National League versus
the American League. I do think there's something to be
(22:43):
said about pitching on a team where you don't have
to be the man. You don't have to be. I mean, granted,
he didn't necessarily have to do that either in New York.
But I do think that Devin Williams makes a lot
of sense because I like the price tag. I don't
think he's gonna be insane.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I just like like his stuff, I like his makeup.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I think he'd be a good fit in LA I
do I do lend I'm a little opposite of you.
I do think they need a closer. I don't I
think they need somebody that is. You say the lion's share.
I say, you're the closer unless you absolutely need a
day off because of workload or you know, obviously you
don't need It's not a safe situation, so you don't
need a closer that day.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
But I love it. Bring him in.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Hey, listen, you're just saying that because the whole time
you recovering that damn team, Kenny Jansen was nails, all right,
at least for the majority of the time he was nails.
It's it's it's definitely.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Traditional seventy four.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, which, by the way, free agent. I don't hate
the idea of him.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I would like him as a metal reliever, like maybe
like a two.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Three inn guy. He's not exactly closer anymore, but breaking
I would love to have Kelly Beck.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Let's say, spoiler Kenny Jansen at least it is not
part of the expected bold off season prediction. But let's
say we get into some not so bold, honestly off
season predictions with some noster dumbass. It's still my favorite.
That is still my favorite. I figured we could have
(24:15):
some fun to bold or not so bold predictions, because
I say not so bold, I don't think it's going
to be a very exciting offseason, at least not to
the levels of excitement we've seen over the last because
that means.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
You don't need a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yeah, this team is good, you know. And that's another
conversation we haven't had because you've been out vacationing and
enjoying your life. But like, this is a team that
does not need a lot of effort. They could probably
put the forty man roster out that they have right
now and win the NL West without much fan fair
I mean, yeah, other teams in the NLS can get better.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Let me ask you, this, is that with Sasak as
a starter or is that with Sasaki as a closer?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Well, it's with Sasaki not in the rotation them winning
the NL West. I don't know that his future is
in the starting rotation. That said, he will enter spring
training in the starting rotation or at least being one
of the five or six to seven dudes that the
team will be looking at to pick up some big innings.
(25:21):
I really don't know how that works out because they
have just an insane amount of talent in the starting rotation.
Even after Clayton Kershaw retires, or retired. Now, the amount
of arms they have, it's pretty ridiculous. I have this one.
This one's just going to be hanging around in perpetuity
this offseason. But Gavin Stone is coming back from shoulder surgery.
(25:42):
He was electric when he was healthy in twenty twenty four.
Emma Sheen, we know he is very, very good starter.
And you got those four dudes at the top of
the rotation. I would love to see Yamamoto get a
fair amount of break. But with Roki Sasaki, River Ryan
most likely to seek Asparius and Rableski to the go
to the bullpen in some sort of role, Dodgers are
(26:04):
in a very good position to not need a flashy
or splashy off season. They need an outfielder thus much
we know. Actually, we got a super chat from the
Truthseeker Doc RB ten dollars. Thank you much, say and
welcome back, Alana. Good afternoon to both of us. And
wondering what rumors, what the rumors are to improve the outfield, bullpen,
the defense. Hearing that you know, maybe there's a Pete Fairbanks,
(26:27):
another guy who's a long time future Dodger, you know,
maybe a Stephen Kwan, maybe Byron Buxton in there, and yeah,
getting into bold off season predictions. I have no problem
leading us off here. Mine. My number one is, I
do think the Dodgers trade for Stephen Kwan. I understand Cleveland.
You know they made the postseason last year. They're they're
(26:48):
a good ball club. They're manager is a two time
AL Manager of the Year award winner. But at some
point Steph Quan's gonna start costing more money. The Dodgers
were already linked to Stephen Kuan at the trade deadline
line last year. The Dodgers loved to start doing their
homework early cough. The Mookie Betts deal that happened in
twenty twenty almost happened in that twenty nineteen at the
(27:10):
twenty nineteen trade deadline. We know there's interest now. Bob
Nightingale Penna call Um about it last week at the
GM's meetings. Dodgers needed an outfielder. They needed a left
fielder with plus two elite back to ball skills, something
Steven Kwan has. He's also an absolute demon in the outfield.
They can use some left field defensive help. And we
(27:32):
know this is a team that has the prospect capital
to get a job, get a deal done if it's
you know, one or two of the outfield prospects they have,
or one of their guys, plus maybe an Alex Call
thrown in there, a top pitching prospect, a lower tierspect
pitching prospect, maybe Alex Friedland who is still highly regarded
on all of the prospects lists. They have the tools,
(27:54):
they have the players, they have the talent to bring
Stephen Kwaneer, who fills a perfect need for this team.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Let me ask you this, and we didn't talk about this,
and I'm just throwing it out there because it's easy
for me to spend other people's money. What if you
moved Tao to the to left field? You move Tato
left field. He's not a great right fielder, Okay, Kwan
obviously is better defensively.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I understand that.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
But I will take Tao's power in the lineup and
you go out and you sign Kyle Tucker. Now I
say that because it's going to come with a massive,
massive price deck. Okay, we're talking about three hundred and
fifty to five hundred million for Tucker, which is insane.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
But he's young, he's good. I get it.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
He's a former astro calm down. But I mean, is
that something that would even be on the radar? Does
it make sense?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Yeah, I mean absolutely to a degree. And this is
with that that caveat of it's not our money because
you're looking at a ten year deal for a twenty
eight year old All star outfielder with Kyle Tucker. But
one of those guys you know you mentioned Taoskar Hendandez,
he will be off of the payroll in two seasons.
They already open up a butt ton of payroll this
(29:03):
winter with Clayton Kershaw retiring obviously, Michael Conforto off of
the payroll, Chris Taylor finally out from under that contract,
so on and so forth, almost ninety million dollars free
in payroll. They're they're kind of the most expensive they're
going to be right now. You know, you don't need
to pay a lot of other prospects who are you know,
(29:26):
getting big raises in arbitration. So if you're looking for
somebody fitting that bill of bat ball plus defender Kyle
Tucker or somebody could play some left field, can play
some some some right field, Ideally they would land a
center fielder that's not necessarily the guy that's out there
in this market. I you know, there is that factor though,
(29:47):
of can they convince Tayo to move to left field?
Like I wonder if they would be more open to
trading him somehow right maybe maybe?
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But I think, I mean, he wants to be in
LA I think, I think, I mean, as long as
he as long as you're not taking him out of
the lineup. I don't think he cares where he plays
in the outfield. I think down he knows he's not
the best right fielder in the world.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I would hope hopefully he gets better, though, I mean,
what's wild And we've talked about this on the internet
over the last week or two because I asked that question, like,
could there be a scenario where the Dodgers explore trading
task for her Nandez? But what's what's a wild situation
with him is that he has good foot speed. He
just reads baseball's poorly in the outfield and doesn't.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Need you need that as an outfielder. He need to
be all coming off the bat. You know who I
would have loved for the Dodgers to sign is Jared Duran.
Now they can't this year because they signed him to
a one year deal trade. I think Jaron Duran maybe maybe,
but I think Jared Duran would have been really great
pop in the lineup. He can run fast. He's a
really good dude in the clubhouse. Not to say that
(30:51):
any of our guys aren't. What I'm saying that if
you're going to add somebody, you always want to know
about the character of the person, and I think Jared
Duran's a really good dude. I would not be upset
with Stephen Kwan at all, but I just you know,
there's other guys too that I would I would be
fine seeing in the outfield.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
What about Belly over a Belly reunion over Stephen Kwan,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
I never know how that's gonna work out.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I mean, I would love Belly and Center because I
love I still love Bell unders defense he played. He
played so much better in New York than I thought
he was going to. I didn't think that Belly was
gonna deal with New York very well, just because he's
such a mellow dude. And I know everybody says always
because he's always stoned. But he had such a good
year in New York in terms of numbers and the
(31:32):
way that he handled everything, Like I wasn't sure how
that was going to go, and it worked out really well.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I don't know. You never know how it's going to
be with reunions, right.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Like I mean, it made it worked out well with
KEI K. I don't know, Like, would it be the
same as it was when Kenley was here? Would it
be the same as it was when JT was here
if those guys came back, I don't know. Sometimes sometimes
you can't go back home, you know what I mean.
So I'm not sure if Belly would have the same
type of impact as he did. Like sometimes the team
(32:01):
now is different than when Belly was here.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
An important fact, though, he doesn't need to be twenty
nineteen MVP Belly. He does not need to be twenty
seventeen Rookie of the Year forty Homer Belly. He doesn't
need to be that guy. They don't need that guy.
They have other dudes to be the man. He just
needs to be somebody who is a solid five or
six hitter in that lineup, even as low as seven
(32:24):
if you really need it. But you know he can
hit cleanup. You know he's a run producer. You know
that Scott Boris is willing to do some sort of
weird white man raps about him or whatever the hell
Scott Boris does. At this point in the offseason, somebody
needs to take that the microphone away from that man.
But between Honestly, I've said it before, some of this
(32:45):
is definitely rehashing things we've talked about on the internet.
Not that there's a whole lot going on, so there's
going to be a lot of rehashing. I think I
take Cody Bellancher on a shorter deal over Kyle Tucker
just because of the shorter deal.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, that's of course sure.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I mean I think Belly is he's not that far
gone from Kyle Tucker. He's not that far from what
he used to be. But yeah, of course the money
makes a lot more sense. I mean, maybe that's what
you do. Maybe you figure it out for the next
couple of years and and then and then reassess. I mean,
this team, this team is very good. So I there's
really nothing to me other than the closer in the
revolving door situation.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
There's not. This team doesn't have a ton of holes
in my opinion. I mean, now, there is.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
One thing though, this team is a year older now,
like they're getting older. Yeah, you know what I mean,
we all are, but.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
It is they are getting over.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yeah, I mean, age is a factor for sure. And
they play a lot of baseball each and every year,
starting with earlier seasons in spring training and playing into
November this year, that is absolutely a factor. You know,
we're we're probably gonna hear a lot of the conversation
about World Series hangover early next year, maybe even through
(33:56):
a lot of the season again because we saw it
this year. Hopefully they learn how to deal with that
World Series hangover. But yeah, they are getting older. They
are one season older. Freddy's getting older. You're starting to
see some of the signs there of him not being
the perfect hitting specimen that he was for the majority
of the first what twelve thirteen years of his career.
(34:17):
Still all very very good ballplayers, And as Dave would say,
to borrow from Dave, you know, I believe in these guys.
I have a lot of trust in these guys. And
you find a way to supplement you know, the roster
here and there. You have an opportunity in left field,
you have an opportunity maybe with a closer or a
bullpen guy Devin Williams much younger than Blake Trinon. At
(34:38):
some point, you know, they're gonna need an air apparent
at third base for Max Muncie. They'll find a way.
Hessan Kim's young.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I don't know if Heslan Km's on the team next
year anyway.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Bold prediction? Is that a bold prediction?
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Sure? I mean he was not did he wasn't on
a postseason roster?
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Yeah, that was What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I mean that's everything you need to know about how
they feel about him. Like I feel like he's an
expendable piece, you know what I mean. Remember he started
the season in the in the minor leagues.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Ideally he's somebody who fills into that whole rotation of
utility guys. Could be somebody that takes, you know, one
of those jobs that's open right now from Miguel.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
That's the thing though, If that's if we're looking at it,
if that's his value, if that's who he is, I'd
rather have Key k Hernandez or Miguel Rojas, even at
their age.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
What about that? So let's make that a bold prediction here.
I had said two weeks ago, I don't think they
would both be back. I don't think the Dodgers re
signed both. Where do you stand with both Mickey Rowe
and Keith Ernandez? Which way do the Dodgers go?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
If Hissan Kim is on the roster, I don't think
they bring both of them back. If he's not, I
do think that they bring both of them back. I
will say this though, if it's.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
One or the other. To me, I think it's Key
k A over Miguel.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
And I know that I you know, obviously Miguel with
the World Series heroics and and all of those things,
but I mean, you're not in the situation that you're
in without Kik in the course of the postseason, and
I know that Miguel said he wants to come back
and have the opportunity to repeat, which is different than
what he said that that you know that he was
going to retire. But I think I would love to
(36:21):
see them both back. I think it happens if him's
not on the roster. If he is on the roster,
only one comes back, and.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
It's Key k Hey competition though you know, hess On
Kim does have options. He's somebody that get a lot
more playing time at Triple A. If they need it.
We know this is a front office that wants to
have the maximized, wants to maximize their their options on
the forty man roster, So that could be one of
those things where they do bring him both back, and
(36:47):
you know, eventually somebody wins out on the playing time
between those two and Hessong Kim. But between those three guys,
one guy actually has something to prove. That is Hessng
Kim so and he has he has team control. I
don't know. I think I think he'll be around. I
think he'll be a factor.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
I mean, if Miguel and Kei k don't get signed
by another team and they wait until the end of
the season, the end of the off season like they
did last year to bring Key K back, it may
be a situation of non roster invite to spring training
for both of those guys, if they're not picked up
by any of the other twenty nine clubs, and then
they battle, the three of them battle it out in
spring training.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, I mean, Miguel Rojas, I'm still going to die
in the hill that that he comes back. I think
he means so much of that clubhouse, He means so
much to the front office and him just being a
you know, a vocal leader back in the clubhouse.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
But that's essentially they're the same dude.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
They are, and that's what makes us really tough, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
But yeah, I love them both to death. But I
don't know that you can have three utility guys, you know.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, plus plus Tommy Edmund. You know, he's still going
to be around. He's having ankle surgery, uh this week
at some point. So I don't know if we actually
had a fully bold prediction there, because that is a
tough conversation for the front office. I'm still gonna die
on the hill that I had two weeks ago. As
much as I want Kik back, I think they go
(38:10):
Miguel Rojas because it's one year over Kikh, and I
don't think he is going to want to wait to
sign a contract until March like he did last year.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
I don't know, but I think he knows he's probably
only going to get a one year deal anywhere that
he goes. So unless somebody like comes up like soon
in free in a yeah, free agencies in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Listen. I love him.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I just don't think that there's a billion guys, you know,
a billion teams knocking down his door, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
And that's that's a stark reality that a lot of
other teams aren't in the same position the Dodgers are
into sign somebody who essentially is just an October player.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Correct, exactly exactly, and that's exactly right. Like if if
there's not a ton of teams that are like, oh,
we're good, we know we're making the postseason. So you know, yeah,
that's exactly exactly right. So another point that you had,
do the Dodgers resign Michael Kopek.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
That's one of my bold predictions here. Not a lot
of people talking about Michael Kopek. I'm going to be
one of the people talking about Michael Kopek. I think
he'll be back. I think it'll be a one year deal. Listen,
he was really good when they brought him over after
he was freed from the clutches of the White Sox
in twenty twenty four twenty twenty five season disaster. You
cannot state it any other way. It was an absolute disaster.
(39:28):
I think he owes them one. I think he would
like an opportunity to actually pitch for this ball club again.
Something he couldn't really do, and they got into a
nine to ten games something like that during the regular
season here in twenty twenty five. I don't know that
there's a massive market out there, so I think it'd
be a one year deal, maybe one of those one
plus ones. But I think they'll be There'll be a
Michael Kopek sighting at spring training because they need healthy
(39:53):
relievers at the start of the season. They are going
to eventually have a very very good bullpen, but you need,
you know, Devin Phillips to get healthy by mid season
and you know insert other names here. They it's gonna
be a lot like we dealt with last year, like, oh,
just give him time. Everybody will be healthy, then it's
gonna be really good.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Well, I mean, we were healthiest when it mattered the
most in terms of starting staff. This is what I think.
I look at Michael Kopek the same way I look
at Devin Williams. Devin Williams had a really down year
for the Yankees. Michael Kopek had a terrible year for us,
so perhaps you know he has a he has a
bounce back here. Devin Williams has a bounce back here,
(40:32):
and that that's two really solid arms in that in
that Dodgers wolfpen.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Mm hmm. And there that that's uh, well, we'll pull
the wool over everybody's eyes or the other way around.
I'm saying that wrong anyways. The final bold prediction, Yeah,
I do believe the Dodgers signed Devin Williams. I think
everything is out there. The pieces are in place for
for him to want to come to l A. The
Dodgers need him, can use him, he would. There's a
(40:57):
if you can get better, if Devin Williams could get
better by working with the Dodgers, you know pitching gurus.
They need an eventual replacement, like I said earlier for
Blake Trinon, who has only one year left on his deal.
But maybe they need a replacement at the back end
of the bullpen for him this year because he was
not great in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
You know, they like the bullpen as the collective wasn't
great in twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Five breaking news, they weren't. They weren't so.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
In twenty twenty four in the World Series and in
the postseason, they just they were not good. That was
the biggest question mark all season long, was the Dodgers bullpen,
especially towards the end of the year, they just weren't
good and there was that constant revolving door, which is
why Dave Robert should get more credit than he does
because of the way he handles everything.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
No votes in the Manager of the Year world right now,
that is not even a down ballot vote, and that's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
That's so ridiculous because everyone's like, oh, they're the Dodgers,
they should automatically win.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
People not being exceptionally happy about my Copek re signing,
I will note I'm not saying he's going to be
re signed to be a a back end of the
bullpen guy, a closer for this team. More so a
healthy right the righty throwing arm. For that's an option.
Another guy who is competition. If he is outpitched by
somebody like Evan Phillips when he comes back and is
(42:20):
healthy in the second half of the season, or if
Ben Casparius out pitches him, if Anthony Bonda out pitched him,
so on and so forth, those guys will get more opportunities.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
But and we didn't talk eire, we didn't talk about
this either.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
I'm super psyched that they brought Alex s Messia back. Good. Yeah,
that's great.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
One percent needed to be back that that he is
the leader in that bullpen and you know you saw
it by the World Series. It showed his absence absolutely
showed just as a heart and soul kind of dude
for that ball club. But there's our long way around
some bold predictions. Hopefully people enjoyed that. Again, I don't
(42:58):
think it's gonna be an overly exciting off so.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
It doesn't need to be.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
And that doesn't need to be. It doesn't need to
be if it is a lot of resignings. If it is,
you know, Miguel Rojas and Keith Ahernan is a Michael Kopek.
I mean, we should be excited if they land Devin
Williams and are able to bring in Stephen Kwan, but
don't be uh, don't be mad when it's not the
most exciting, most exciting offseason. That said, I think we
can get into last Nick's last licks. Now what do
(43:25):
you think?
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Agreed? Always?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
All right, guys, thanks for letting me do this. I
appreciate it very much. This is Trooper. He is adorable.
He's not even a year old, but he's such a
good boy. He's healthy, he's neutered, he's vaccinated. He's a sweetheart.
He gets along swimmingly with other pups. He's good with kids.
He was going to be euthanized at the shelter uh
in Downey just because he had a broken leg.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
He's all fixed up. He's awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
So if you're interested in adopting Trooper, please let me know.
He's being foster in Aliso Viejo, California, but he wants
to go to his forever home for the holidays.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
So reach out. Let me know.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Getriysguardian dot orger hit me up on social before we
sign off. Clint Baseball thought for the road. I don't
know if you guys saw it, but recently the twenty
twenty six Hall of Fame ballot is out. There's about
twelve new names on there, and former Dodger Matt Kemp
is on the list. Your thoughts of the likelihood of
my favorite number twenty seven getting into the Hall?
Speaker 3 (44:28):
I would love it. He is not a Hall of Famer.
Love you, Matthew Ryan Kemp not a Hall of Famer.
The fact that he's on this list, well, one makes
me feel extremely old. That one I can't get away
from because I remember this kid coming out of being
part of the Jacksonville five that won the it was
the Southern League Double A championship back in two thousand
(44:51):
and four, two thousand and five, watching those dudes come
up make their debuts him, Russ Martin, Andre Ethie or
John Box, Chad Billingsley. Watching those guys come up and
make a difference with the past. Yeah, uh, he was
somebody who was. But anyways, yeah, I don't know. I
just don't see Hall of Fame credentials. Uh, definitely an
(45:13):
MVP robbed an MVP.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
But no, that's.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
That's exactly what I was gonna say. I don't see
Matti Camp getting into the Hall of Fame. But I
will tell I will say this, you better not let
that motherfucker And I'll tell you that right now because
if it was for him here, yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Ryan Bron's on the list. So if if Ryan Brown.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Didn't do what he did and lie about everything, Matt
Kemp would have gotten the m v P that year.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Do you think there's more of a case, more of
a Hall of Fame case if he wins that m VP.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
For Matt No, I still don't think that that he's
an MVP just based on numbers, and I don't know.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
I mean it certainly wouldn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
Yeah, maybe maybe he's I think I think he'll be
a one and done. Maybe he wouldn't be a one
and done if he was a former league MVP. But yeah,
I don't think he gets the five percent vote. Not
that there's a lot of you know, I guess there
are some pretty decent names on there.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
But.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, I mean there, Jimmy Rawlins is on there. I
mean they've been on before. But yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I don't think anybody on that list actually gets in,
to be honest with you, not.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Not via the normal b b W A A vote.
Speaker 1 (46:20):
I think as things expand and you know, time and
there's all these other ways to get into the hall.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Now, maybe Jimmy Rowlins gets in, I don't know, but
not just based on on on writers votes, I don't.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Yeah, agree, I agree, And uh it feels like as
good a time as any to hit that sign off button.
Went on too long, you.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Guys, Yeah, yeah, anyway, good to be with you guys,
Thank you so much for listening. Clinton and I are
back normal time on Thursday, We're back to our Monday
Thursday rotation in this offseason to talk about I'm gonna
try to get a guest on a player guest, and
so then go Dodgers Bye. In
Devin Williams is a name that continues to come up
for a lot of teams, but I think it would
probably possibly make sense for the Dodgers because I am
sick and tired of the revolving door that is the Dodgers' bullpen.
(00:23):
What up, everybody, and welcome to a brand new episode
of Dodgers' Territory In case you forgot My name is
Alana Rizzo alongside my co host Clint Passia.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Is so good to be back with you guys. Thanks
for being here. Rate us five stars. Like to subscribe all.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Of the things you can catch our merchandise. We'll talk
about that in a hot second. We want to get
to fifteen thousand subscribers. Guys, help us get there, won't
you pars about Territory Network. We're so happy to be
with you guys for another off season as we get
ready for the twenty and twenty six season.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Hopefully a three feet is in the works.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Before we get to the stuff, Clint, let's catch up
with each other and our fans on the big ticket.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
Let's do it.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
All right. Since you've been gone, or since I've been gone.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Yeah, I mean I was I was fine while you're gone,
but it's good.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Good to have you back.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We were trolling away doing all of the work, doing
all of the things.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
But since I was gone, I had a great trip.
Thanks for obviously.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Scott Gearman and Jack Harris for filling in anybody else
that I missed, Thanks for thanks for filling in for me.
So Maggi Row was the hero. Let's talk about the
World Series real because I was actually on a plane.
I watched the majority of the game at the airport
in Logan. Then I was on the plane getting texts
(01:48):
messages from Jill Painter Lopez. She was giving me the
play by play of what was going on, and then
obviously Meggie Row with the home run and all of
the things. And I couldn't yell at the top of
my lungs on the plane, but I was very excited,
and uh what what an unbelievable thing, right, It's so
difficult to go back to back in this great sport
(02:09):
of ours, and the Dodgers did it. And you know,
what else can you say about this team other than
they're freaking good and I'm so psyched for them.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
I think just.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
Watching what everybody was talking about, I feel like the
parade this year in LA was better than last year's parade,
and I'm just super psyched. Migey Rowe the hero, Will
Smith the hero, and more than anybody was your dude,
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the guy that you said Clint at the
beginning of the year was going to be the cy
Young Award winner.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
It could have been. He didn't get it, but he
was damn near.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
A world series. I take a world series.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Over a cy Young, right, just incredible. And I tried
to send you guys a message from the plane. It
didn't go through whatever, whatever, but freaking great.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
The important thing is, uh, you know the things we
talked about leading up to that Game seven. You know,
you're the person who kept telling everybody it's going to
be great, everything's going to be It was stressful as shit,
but everything eventually was great. For sure. You mentioned Miguel
Rojas with the heroics there, and the ninth inning, both
sides of the ball, and the ninth inning, of course,
(03:17):
the homer, the very unlikely game tying homer off of
Jeff run your mouth. Hoffman makes that play to cut
down Isaiah Kinder for Lafa in the bottom of the
ninth to send it to X ratings. Will Smith is
inevitable at some point, and then Yoshi no Yamamoto, whatever
they're paying him, it ain't enough because my boy got
(03:38):
the job.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
THREEANDERD twenty five millions not enough.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
I mean, whatever, you know, I tell you what when
when Andy Pah has caught that ball and Kiki Hernandez
didn't know that he caught it, and then he was
like saying, oh my god, I just lost this the
World Series and Andy's like, what are you talking about, bro,
I caught it.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
I mean I was listening to kik On.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
I don't know if it was Mookie's podcast or whatever
it was, but he was talking about that moment. Oh
maybe he was on Jimmy Fallon that's where he was
talking about it. But I think it was what an
unbelievable turn of events. And again it was like the
fifth inning of Game five last year. That kind of
was like Game seven of this World Series where they
had some defensive miscues and just you know, Jeff Hoffman,
(04:16):
I don't think that it was a bad pitch. I
just think that Miggie did a great job. It was
a great at bat, and again kind of an unlikely hero.
In that moment, you think about the Dodgers roster, Clint,
you think, like, all right, I could see Freddy doing that.
I could see Shohey of course doing that. I could
see Will Smith doing that. I could see Max Munsey
doing that. I could see Key Gay doing that, just
because of what a postseason hero Key k is. But
(04:38):
it was Miguel Rojas. And this was a guy that
we thought that was going to retire at the end
of the season. More on that in a moment, but
the fact that it was him, a guy that just
really understands his role to be able to come in
to force the issue and force extra innings in a
Game seven.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Of a World Series.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
I don't know that the And I'm not just saying
this because we're Dodgers fans, Okay, yeah, I think so
many people, not even Dodger related, we're saying that this
was one of the best World Series they have seen
in quite some time. That's all you want, right You
wanted to go to Game seven. I know, as a
Dodger fan you probably like, No. Four in a row,
let's just get this shit done. But you want as
a sports fan, you wanted to go to Game seven.
(05:20):
You wanted to go to extra innings. You want it
to matter, and every moment you're holding your breath. And
that's exactly what they got this year. I told you,
I told you it's going to be great, gonna.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Be great, and eventually got great. You know the bullpen
bottle over here. It took a couple of hits along
the way. And surviving that that Game seven, and surviving
the postseason, I mean, that's a lie. I didn't really
drink during the postseason because I'm trying to make the
show not god awful. But they survived. We survived. The
Dodgers did good, and like you said, now they're trying
(05:51):
to run it forward, trying to run it back for
a third time in a row. The other piece of news,
since you've been gone, and since I was live on
Thursday with Jack Harris SHOWI Otani, how about that MVP
once again? Two years in a row as a Dodger,
you get a title, you get an MVP. I can
get used to that, Alana.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
I'm sure Shohey can get used to that as well.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
His fourth MVP award in five years and all of
them unanimous. As Alden Gonzalez pointed that out as well,
But I mean, look at what he continues to do.
It's just stupefying what he is able to accomplish. If
you can throw that tweet from Alden back up, if
you don't mind all of what he's been able to do.
He's the first player in all four major sports to
(06:34):
win both an MVP and a championship in each of
his first two seasons with the team.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
According to ESPN research. That's just dumb.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
It's like, it's not that easy, right, He probably just like, Ah,
all I had to do is come to LA. I mean,
he has so many more supportive, much more supporting cast
now in Los Angeles than he did in Anaheim.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
But man, he's good.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
I just don't want this to become a situation where
it's just a given every year, right, it's like, oh yeah,
show hey until there's another award or you allow co MVPs.
I don't know who else in the National League could
have gotten it in comparison to Show Hey. I mean,
I think there was much more of a close race,
obviously in the American League. I still believe cal Rawley
should have gotten the American League MVP. Not that I'm
(07:16):
trying to take anything away from Aaron Judge, but show
Hey didn't have a ton of competition, right, I mean,
when you pitch and hit, it's gonna.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Be very difficult.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
If he does it at a quality level, which he did,
and he did it in the postseason, you know, ten strikeouts,
three home run game. I know the award is voted
on prior to the postseason, but who else is ever
going to win this award?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
I don't know. I mean at some point you feel
you worry there is going to be the whole you know,
voter fatigue when it comes to show Hey Otani. I
was assuming there would be a little bit of voter
fatigue with Aaron Judge in the American League this time,
thankfully not. I mean, he put up a phenomenal year.
My vote would have went to Cal Rawley if I
was allowed to vote. I'm not I'm not that important.
(08:01):
But until somebody else can pitch and hit at the
level that he can. And by the way, he said
after his MVP that he plans on being ready to
pitch from the start of the year to the end
of the year. He's going to be on that mound,
hopefully going out there for you know, twenty five thirty
starts until somebody else can do that. This is show
(08:23):
Hayes Award, and there's a good chance, I mean, this
is a guy Alta. We need to ask the question,
is this somebody who is going to pass Barry Bonds
on that MVP? You know all of.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Mr Sarry has seven, right, Barry has seven MVPs. Yeah,
I don't see how you can. I mean, show Hey's
still very young in his career. Barry obviously was Whatever
you want to say about Barry Bonds asterisk, no askarisk asterisk.
I think Barry Bonds was a Hall of Famer in
Pittsburgh even before all of the speculation and all the
giant shit and all all of that stuff. Sho He
(08:55):
Otani unless something catastrophic happens, I certainly hope not. But
as long as show Hey Otani is on both sides
of the ball and performs even at a at a
minimal level of what he's doing, he's the MVP. There's
no there's nobody else that can compete. And I know
that Jan Soto was in the conversation Kyle Schwarber both
(09:16):
good year Schwarber phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
Right, Soto great, but they don't pitch.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
And until until he's going to have like legitimate competition
on both sides of the ball, I don't see how
he doesn't unless he has a horrible year either.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Way, you know what I mean, anybody else could win.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Yeah, if he's out there healthy and getting into one
hundred and sixty games, you know, pitching at least fifteen games,
he's going to be your nl MVP for a possibly
the majority, if not all of his Dodgers contracted. I'm okay.
I'm okay with that.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
No question, I don't, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
And again, until somebody can even come close to what
he's doing, I think the award is his. A couple
of other things that you wanted to bring up. If
we talk about this, are we doing that now?
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Or what are we doing about this?
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Let's take a little bit of a break and then
we'll get into the real stuff. We've caught up. That's
all we needed to do. Right.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Good to see you if we're all set. I went
on a safari, I saw some stuff. Dodgers won the
World Series, and we're caught up here.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
We are. Yeah, you weren't trampled. That's the important thing.
Is just still more Dodgers' Territory to come. The first
of the word from our friends at Foul Territory.
Speaker 4 (10:27):
AJ, We're going to do things a little bit differently here.
I am wearing the Perfect Gene and I remember seeing
ads for the Perfect Gene, like most comfortable fit ever,
perfect fit on your body, and I was like, I'm
not buying it. Now I'm buying it, and we're showing
it off on FT.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Please get off my desk. First of all, Scott. Second
of all, I was with you. I was skeptical about
perfect Gene and then I got a pair and the
fitting was perfect. And my body is not hard to
fix is I got a big old rear and big
old legs from years of squatting, and they fit perfectly.
They're stretchy, they're comfortable, they're fashionable.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
They're everything I look for in a gene.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
And now I have an extra pair and I'm gonna
wear them all the time.
Speaker 4 (11:07):
Foul fifteen is the code at the Perfect Gen dot NYC.
FT listeners get fifteen percent off your first order, plus
free shipping, free returns, and free exchanges when you use
code fou L one five at checkout. That's fifteen percent
off for new customers at the Perfect Gen dot n
my C with promo code foul fifteen. After your purchase,
they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support
the show and tell them Foul Territory sent you.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Welcome back to Dodger's Territory here on this What is
it Monday? I think it's a Monday, Yeah, the seventeenth.
If you guys are looking, as Alana said at the
top of the show, looking for a way to support us,
besides just watching, subscribing, clicking that like button sharing to
your friends, your grandma, your dog. Check out the store
Dodgers Territory shop dot com. It's it is hoodie season,
(11:50):
Alana said. It as cold as balls over there back home.
Get gotta get that beanie going there. There's a whole
bunch of stuff. It directly supports me, Alana. The fine
people here that put on, you know, a show with
Dodgers Territory, Foul Territory, YadA YadA, scan that QR code,
buy some stuff a lot. There's been more news since
(12:11):
you've been gone and all that kind of stuff, and
even since I was last live. Let's talk about the
trade that happened on Sunday, the Dodgers make a move
to clear essentially clear roster space on the forty man roster,
trading away minor league well, I guess not minor league
forty man reliever Robinson Ortiz, who they had just added
to the forty man roster. They trade him. They sent
(12:33):
him to Seattle for an off forty man reliever, basically
a lottery ticket, because they are in dire need of
forty men roster space, especially if they want to bring
anybody back. In a little bit. We're going to get
into our our off season prediction, So gonna stay tuned
and tell us how wrong we are. But yeah, the
most important part of this move is, yeah, lottery ticket.
(12:55):
You add a reliever and it clears roster space. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
This is not the leverage arm that they're looking for, right, Like,
this is just somebody where it's like, let's uh, we
got to make some moves because if they're gonna do
anything in the off season, I don't know that it's
going to be starting pitching wise, just because you figure
that they're going to have everybody back, right hopefully. I
I we'll get into this about what I think needs
(13:20):
what we think needs to happen in the closer situation
and the whole Devin Williams rumors and all of those things.
But this is just this is semantics. This is just
moving the pieces around. This is neither here nor there.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
I think we can move on. I couldn't. I really
could not far less about this move.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Yeah, it's not it's not going to be the move
of the off season, but it is definitely one move.
And we also have breaking news from Scott Braun. He
wears shorts most of the time.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, somebody just said that he probably wore shorts to
his own wedding this weekend.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
I don't think he did. I don't think. I don't
think Emma would have allowed that. Maybe they were like
tucks shorts.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
But by the way, graduations to my little brother Scott
Braun and his beautiful bride on their nuptsholes.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
It's about damn times.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Listen, you guys know my stance on marriage. But congrats
to Scott, uh, Scotty Scotty Braun there and the new
missus Scotty Braun. That is pretty awesome. Hey, let's talk
about our friend, your friend Keik Hernandez had a little
bit of surgery on that elbow a little bit.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So what's funny about how this all went down is
Dave Vessay was saying that Kik was basically ambushed at
the airport, So somebody recognized Kik at the airport, which
I mean, I can understand why he's very popular, and
he was in a sling, So that begs the question,
why are you in a sling?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Well, he had to have off season surgery.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
I guess he hurt the elbow early on in May,
played through it, had to have surgery. So he's going
to be fined for whatever team is his employer in
twenty twenty six, hopefully it's the Dodger's more on that
in a moment. But he's not playing for the World
Baseball Classic obviously, which is a bummer because Kyk is
a huge influx of personality and that he is the
(15:09):
biggest guy that you want in big moments, and the
whole WBC is a big moment. So that's a bummer
for him because I know he loves representing Team Puerto Rico.
It's a bummer for the fans. But he obviously has
to be ready for the regular season with whomever that
is going to be.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
But he needs to be ready for October. Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (15:26):
He does. But I don't think you can just sign
him for October. I mean, I've told you this a
thousand times. I'll say it a thousand more times. I don't
care if he's oh for the regular season. I want
him on my roster as anything, as a as a
hype man, as a bench player, as a janitor, I
don't care. But come the postseason, Kyk is in the
lineup every day period. End of story.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah, I do wonder if this is a move that
that changes his market. Well, let's talk about the ambush thing.
I don't know if you saw the video, but there
was some random dude at the airport who kind of
wouldn't leave him alone and like followed him around and
you know, up through the ask later and all that.
That's like, leave the man alone for one for the
love of God, leave the man alone. But beyond that,
(16:07):
I do wonder if he would have posted anything about
the surgery if that video did not come out.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
Does anybody know if this was like a TMZ kind
of guy or was this just like a fanboy kind
of guy.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
I could get wrong.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Man like running around another grown ass Man in the airport,
which I will never understand that.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Yeah, I think it was more leaning towards grown ass
Man than the professionals over at TMZ, but it was
definitely giving big TMZ injury. It's worth noting the numbers
for Kik before that injury to after that injury pretty stark,
small sample size on both sides. He did miss a
couple of months on the il with that elbow. I
(16:46):
kind of had forgot that. It nearly knocked him out
for the season. But the big numbers there, the average
was never good, but the big numbers seven forty one
ops before that injury, with a couple of bombas, seven homers,
five thirteen after the injury. There's something to that. I mean,
it is your lead elbow and if it's this extender
tendon or whatever it was that was surgically repaired, Apparently
(17:08):
by the time he got to the end of the
postseason it completely tore from the bone as opposed to
it being partially torn through the majority of the season.
Aggravated it in the National League Championship Series.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
I hope he aggravated it picking up the trophy. You
know what, You'll take it. Everyone Everyone's heard at that point, right,
I mean a K was legitimately injured. I mean, think
of what Freddy Freeman played through last year, you know,
so I just I hope that it heals well. I mean,
remember coming into this offseason or coming into the season
this year, he had the grond, you know, the sports
(17:40):
heurney of surgery and.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
All of that.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
Stuffy guys, these guys are not immune to going under
the knife. That's just part of the part of the drill,
part of the game. But I don't know, I mean,
does does that change his market?
Speaker 2 (17:51):
I'm not sure.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
I guess it all depends on when he's going to
be ready, you know, when, and what teams need him.
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Yeah, I mean the Dodgers can use them. I've I've
kind of I said a couple of weeks ago that
I don't think the Dodgers can re sign both Miguel
Rojas and Keiky Hernandez. Miguel Rojas has let it known,
let it be known that he wants to come back desperately.
I think they can find a way to make that move.
I think they would have found a way to make
that move happen already if there was any sort of
(18:19):
space on the forty man roster they can play with.
But I'm assuming now I kind of had the gut
feeling now that Miggey Rowe probably happens closer to spring
training after all of the pomp and circumstance of the offseason.
We've seen it with Clayton Kershaw in the past. That
kind of staff give them some opportunity.
Speaker 2 (18:37):
I agree. I think they wait and see, like how
ready Keik is.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I don't, and we'll we can talk about this later
coming up in our No strict Dumbass segment with you
as the headliner of that. Of course, I don't think
that they sign them both. I think that they wait
and see how key K heels. I mean, if key
K isn't in their legitimate plans. I mean, both guys
have said that they pretty much only want to play
for LA.
Speaker 2 (19:01):
You know.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Miguel Rojas said that he wants to come back with
an opportunity to repeat, so so we'll see what happens
there before we get to that, though there is some
this is an interesting closer market coming in. It reminds
me and I talked about this a little bit on
foul Territory. I was filling in for Scott Brown. I
think this closer market Clint is very reminiscent of the
(19:22):
shortstop market two or three years ago, when there were
remember when like when Carlos Correa, Trevor's story, Xander, Yeah,
Dansby Swanson.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
Like like for really really good.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
I think Lindor was before that, but like really high
quality shortstop, defensive shortstops, all in the all in the
free agent market. At the same time, I kind of
feel like that is this year's closer market. Devin Williams
is a name that continues to come up for a
lot of teams, but I think it would probably possibly
(19:55):
make sense for the Dodgers because I am sick and
tired of the revolving door that is the Dodgers' bullpen
and the Dodgers' closing role, which is such a different
conversation than you and I had at spring training this
year when we're like, oh my gosh, we talked to
Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott and YadA, YadA, YadA, and
you know, we're like, wow, we have ten closers.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
And then it was like this is so awful. This
is not amazing, Like nobody's working out. This doesn't work.
We lose Evan Phillips. You know, we lost Blake trnin
for quite some time. He came back, he wasn't as
effective as he was in twenty twenty four. In terms
of the postseason. Tanner Scott, we know we had that surgery.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
The whole thing.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
Kirby Yates wasn't as successful as we needed them to be.
I don't like this revolving door bs. Devin Willims makes
some sense to me.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
What about you?
Speaker 3 (20:40):
Oh? Absolutely, I mean, we know the interest is going
to be there. We'll talk more about Devin Williams in
a little bit spoiler he will be part of Noster
dummass there. But yeah, this is a guy that the
Dodgers have been linked to him over the last couple
of years. Obviously, there was almost a trade in place
a year ago to bring him from Milwaukee to the Dodgers.
(21:03):
Ultimately they ended up going to Tanner Scott route because
he was traded. Devin Williams was traded to the Yankees.
Did not have a great season in New York by
any stretch of the imagination. But I don't know if
I buy in so much the idea that they need
a closer, but they are one hundred percent need high leverage,
like somebody a right hander, a high leverage right hander
(21:25):
that can get the job done at the back end
of the bullpen. Because you know, you mentioned Blake Trina
did not have a great season. He's getting long in
the tooth now thirty eight. He'll be pitching it at
age thirty eight in twenty twenty six, in the second
and final year of his deal. Which is it is
insane to look at the Baseball Reference of Blake Tryon
and see that he's entering his eighth I think it's
(21:45):
eighth season with the Dodgers. Ludicrous to think of how
long he's been here. Really, yeah, it's it's it's pretty nutty.
But I think this is more about they don't necessarily
need a closer, because I've said it and I'll stand.
I'll die on the sale. Dave Roberts's better manager when
he doesn't have a closer, at least in the postseason.
But they need somebody who can get the lion's share
(22:06):
of ninth inning opportunities and is just plainly alights arm.
Lights that arm, which we know Devin Williams is because
you know, the All Star berths. The numbers tell you
that much. That Airbender is disgusting, and it still canna
be good, maybe even better in a Dodger uniform.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
A man.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
I think Devin Williams makes a lot of sense, and
the reason is I think his performance are lack there of,
or lack there of in terms of production for the
Yankees was an anomaly. I don't think the Yankees numbers
this year. I think that was kind of It was
a down year. And I do think that there's something
to be said about pitching in the National League versus
the American League. I do think there's something to be
(22:43):
said about pitching on a team where you don't have
to be the man. You don't have to be. I mean, granted,
he didn't necessarily have to do that either in New York.
But I do think that Devin Williams makes a lot
of sense because I like the price tag. I don't
think he's gonna be insane.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
I just like like his stuff, I like his makeup.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
I think he'd be a good fit in LA I
do I do lend I'm a little opposite of you.
I do think they need a closer. I don't I
think they need somebody that is. You say the lion's share.
I say, you're the closer unless you absolutely need a
day off because of workload or you know, obviously you
don't need It's not a safe situation, so you don't
need a closer that day.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
But I love it. Bring him in.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Hey, listen, you're just saying that because the whole time
you recovering that damn team, Kenny Jansen was nails, all right,
at least for the majority of the time he was nails.
It's it's it's definitely.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Traditional seventy four.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, which, by the way, free agent. I don't hate
the idea of him.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
I would like him as a metal reliever, like maybe
like a two.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Three inn guy. He's not exactly closer anymore, but breaking
I would love to have Kelly Beck.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Let's say, spoiler Kenny Jansen at least it is not
part of the expected bold off season prediction. But let's
say we get into some not so bold, honestly off
season predictions with some noster dumbass. It's still my favorite.
That is still my favorite. I figured we could have
(24:15):
some fun to bold or not so bold predictions, because
I say not so bold, I don't think it's going
to be a very exciting offseason, at least not to
the levels of excitement we've seen over the last because
that means.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
You don't need a lot of stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Yeah, this team is good, you know. And that's another
conversation we haven't had because you've been out vacationing and
enjoying your life. But like, this is a team that
does not need a lot of effort. They could probably
put the forty man roster out that they have right
now and win the NL West without much fan fair
I mean, yeah, other teams in the NLS can get better.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Let me ask you, this, is that with Sasak as
a starter or is that with Sasaki as a closer?
Speaker 3 (25:00):
Well, it's with Sasaki not in the rotation them winning
the NL West. I don't know that his future is
in the starting rotation. That said, he will enter spring
training in the starting rotation or at least being one
of the five or six to seven dudes that the
team will be looking at to pick up some big innings.
(25:21):
I really don't know how that works out because they
have just an insane amount of talent in the starting rotation.
Even after Clayton Kershaw retires, or retired. Now, the amount
of arms they have, it's pretty ridiculous. I have this one.
This one's just going to be hanging around in perpetuity
this offseason. But Gavin Stone is coming back from shoulder surgery.
(25:42):
He was electric when he was healthy in twenty twenty four.
Emma Sheen, we know he is very, very good starter.
And you got those four dudes at the top of
the rotation. I would love to see Yamamoto get a
fair amount of break. But with Roki Sasaki, River Ryan
most likely to seek Asparius and Rableski to the go
to the bullpen in some sort of role, Dodgers are
(26:04):
in a very good position to not need a flashy
or splashy off season. They need an outfielder thus much
we know. Actually, we got a super chat from the
Truthseeker Doc RB ten dollars. Thank you much, say and
welcome back, Alana. Good afternoon to both of us. And
wondering what rumors, what the rumors are to improve the outfield, bullpen,
the defense. Hearing that you know, maybe there's a Pete Fairbanks,
(26:27):
another guy who's a long time future Dodger, you know,
maybe a Stephen Kwan, maybe Byron Buxton in there, and yeah,
getting into bold off season predictions. I have no problem
leading us off here. Mine. My number one is, I
do think the Dodgers trade for Stephen Kwan. I understand Cleveland.
You know they made the postseason last year. They're they're
(26:48):
a good ball club. They're manager is a two time
AL Manager of the Year award winner. But at some
point Steph Quan's gonna start costing more money. The Dodgers
were already linked to Stephen Kuan at the trade deadline
line last year. The Dodgers loved to start doing their
homework early cough. The Mookie Betts deal that happened in
twenty twenty almost happened in that twenty nineteen at the
(27:10):
twenty nineteen trade deadline. We know there's interest now. Bob
Nightingale Penna call Um about it last week at the
GM's meetings. Dodgers needed an outfielder. They needed a left
fielder with plus two elite back to ball skills, something
Steven Kwan has. He's also an absolute demon in the outfield.
They can use some left field defensive help. And we
(27:32):
know this is a team that has the prospect capital
to get a job, get a deal done if it's
you know, one or two of the outfield prospects they have,
or one of their guys, plus maybe an Alex Call
thrown in there, a top pitching prospect, a lower tierspect
pitching prospect, maybe Alex Friedland who is still highly regarded
on all of the prospects lists. They have the tools,
(27:54):
they have the players, they have the talent to bring
Stephen Kwaneer, who fills a perfect need for this team.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
Let me ask you this, and we didn't talk about this,
and I'm just throwing it out there because it's easy
for me to spend other people's money. What if you
moved Tao to the to left field? You move Tato
left field. He's not a great right fielder, Okay, Kwan
obviously is better defensively.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I understand that.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
But I will take Tao's power in the lineup and
you go out and you sign Kyle Tucker. Now I
say that because it's going to come with a massive,
massive price deck. Okay, we're talking about three hundred and
fifty to five hundred million for Tucker, which is insane.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
But he's young, he's good. I get it.
Speaker 1 (28:36):
He's a former astro calm down. But I mean, is
that something that would even be on the radar? Does
it make sense?
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Yeah, I mean absolutely to a degree. And this is
with that that caveat of it's not our money because
you're looking at a ten year deal for a twenty
eight year old All star outfielder with Kyle Tucker. But
one of those guys you know you mentioned Taoskar Hendandez,
he will be off of the payroll in two seasons.
They already open up a butt ton of payroll this
(29:03):
winter with Clayton Kershaw retiring obviously, Michael Conforto off of
the payroll, Chris Taylor finally out from under that contract,
so on and so forth, almost ninety million dollars free
in payroll. They're they're kind of the most expensive they're
going to be right now. You know, you don't need
to pay a lot of other prospects who are you know,
(29:26):
getting big raises in arbitration. So if you're looking for
somebody fitting that bill of bat ball plus defender Kyle
Tucker or somebody could play some left field, can play
some some some right field, Ideally they would land a
center fielder that's not necessarily the guy that's out there
in this market. I you know, there is that factor though,
(29:47):
of can they convince Tayo to move to left field?
Like I wonder if they would be more open to
trading him somehow right maybe maybe?
Speaker 1 (29:57):
But I think, I mean, he wants to be in
LA I think, I think, I mean, as long as
he as long as you're not taking him out of
the lineup. I don't think he cares where he plays
in the outfield. I think down he knows he's not
the best right fielder in the world.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
I would hope hopefully he gets better, though, I mean,
what's wild And we've talked about this on the internet
over the last week or two because I asked that question, like,
could there be a scenario where the Dodgers explore trading
task for her Nandez? But what's what's a wild situation
with him is that he has good foot speed. He
just reads baseball's poorly in the outfield and doesn't.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Need you need that as an outfielder. He need to
be all coming off the bat. You know who I
would have loved for the Dodgers to sign is Jared Duran.
Now they can't this year because they signed him to
a one year deal trade. I think Jaron Duran maybe maybe,
but I think Jared Duran would have been really great
pop in the lineup. He can run fast. He's a
really good dude in the clubhouse. Not to say that
(30:51):
any of our guys aren't. What I'm saying that if
you're going to add somebody, you always want to know
about the character of the person, and I think Jared
Duran's a really good dude. I would not be upset
with Stephen Kwan at all, but I just you know,
there's other guys too that I would I would be
fine seeing in the outfield.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
What about Belly over a Belly reunion over Stephen Kwan,
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (31:10):
I never know how that's gonna work out.
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I mean, I would love Belly and Center because I
love I still love Bell unders defense he played. He
played so much better in New York than I thought
he was going to. I didn't think that Belly was
gonna deal with New York very well, just because he's
such a mellow dude. And I know everybody says always
because he's always stoned. But he had such a good
year in New York in terms of numbers and the
(31:32):
way that he handled everything, Like I wasn't sure how
that was going to go, and it worked out really well.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
I don't know. You never know how it's going to
be with reunions, right.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Like I mean, it made it worked out well with
KEI K. I don't know, Like, would it be the
same as it was when Kenley was here? Would it
be the same as it was when JT was here
if those guys came back, I don't know. Sometimes sometimes
you can't go back home, you know what I mean.
So I'm not sure if Belly would have the same
type of impact as he did. Like sometimes the team
(32:01):
now is different than when Belly was here.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
You know.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
An important fact, though, he doesn't need to be twenty
nineteen MVP Belly. He does not need to be twenty
seventeen Rookie of the Year forty Homer Belly. He doesn't
need to be that guy. They don't need that guy.
They have other dudes to be the man. He just
needs to be somebody who is a solid five or
six hitter in that lineup, even as low as seven
(32:24):
if you really need it. But you know he can
hit cleanup. You know he's a run producer. You know
that Scott Boris is willing to do some sort of
weird white man raps about him or whatever the hell
Scott Boris does. At this point in the offseason, somebody
needs to take that the microphone away from that man.
But between Honestly, I've said it before, some of this
(32:45):
is definitely rehashing things we've talked about on the internet.
Not that there's a whole lot going on, so there's
going to be a lot of rehashing. I think I
take Cody Bellancher on a shorter deal over Kyle Tucker
just because of the shorter deal.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Yeah, that's of course sure.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
I mean I think Belly is he's not that far
gone from Kyle Tucker. He's not that far from what
he used to be. But yeah, of course the money
makes a lot more sense. I mean, maybe that's what
you do. Maybe you figure it out for the next
couple of years and and then and then reassess. I mean,
this team, this team is very good. So I there's
really nothing to me other than the closer in the
revolving door situation.
Speaker 2 (33:20):
There's not. This team doesn't have a ton of holes
in my opinion. I mean, now, there is.
Speaker 1 (33:24):
One thing though, this team is a year older now,
like they're getting older. Yeah, you know what I mean,
we all are, but.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
It is they are getting over.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
Yeah, I mean, age is a factor for sure. And
they play a lot of baseball each and every year,
starting with earlier seasons in spring training and playing into
November this year, that is absolutely a factor. You know,
we're we're probably gonna hear a lot of the conversation
about World Series hangover early next year, maybe even through
(33:56):
a lot of the season again because we saw it
this year. Hopefully they learn how to deal with that
World Series hangover. But yeah, they are getting older. They
are one season older. Freddy's getting older. You're starting to
see some of the signs there of him not being
the perfect hitting specimen that he was for the majority
of the first what twelve thirteen years of his career.
(34:17):
Still all very very good ballplayers, And as Dave would say,
to borrow from Dave, you know, I believe in these guys.
I have a lot of trust in these guys. And
you find a way to supplement you know, the roster
here and there. You have an opportunity in left field,
you have an opportunity maybe with a closer or a
bullpen guy Devin Williams much younger than Blake Trinon. At
(34:38):
some point, you know, they're gonna need an air apparent
at third base for Max Muncie. They'll find a way.
Hessan Kim's young.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I don't know if Heslan Km's on the team next
year anyway.
Speaker 3 (34:49):
Bold prediction? Is that a bold prediction?
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Sure? I mean he was not did he wasn't on
a postseason roster?
Speaker 3 (34:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (34:56):
Yeah, that was What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
I mean that's everything you need to know about how
they feel about him. Like I feel like he's an
expendable piece, you know what I mean. Remember he started
the season in the in the minor leagues.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Ideally he's somebody who fills into that whole rotation of
utility guys. Could be somebody that takes, you know, one
of those jobs that's open right now from Miguel.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
That's the thing though, If that's if we're looking at it,
if that's his value, if that's who he is, I'd
rather have Key k Hernandez or Miguel Rojas, even at
their age.
Speaker 3 (35:31):
What about that? So let's make that a bold prediction here.
I had said two weeks ago, I don't think they
would both be back. I don't think the Dodgers re
signed both. Where do you stand with both Mickey Rowe
and Keith Ernandez? Which way do the Dodgers go?
Speaker 1 (35:45):
If Hissan Kim is on the roster, I don't think
they bring both of them back. If he's not, I
do think that they bring both of them back. I
will say this though, if it's.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
One or the other. To me, I think it's Key
k A over Miguel.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
And I know that I you know, obviously Miguel with
the World Series heroics and and all of those things,
but I mean, you're not in the situation that you're
in without Kik in the course of the postseason, and
I know that Miguel said he wants to come back
and have the opportunity to repeat, which is different than
what he said that that you know that he was
going to retire. But I think I would love to
(36:21):
see them both back. I think it happens if him's
not on the roster. If he is on the roster,
only one comes back, and.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
It's Key k Hey competition though you know, hess On
Kim does have options. He's somebody that get a lot
more playing time at Triple A. If they need it.
We know this is a front office that wants to
have the maximized, wants to maximize their their options on
the forty man roster, So that could be one of
those things where they do bring him both back, and
(36:47):
you know, eventually somebody wins out on the playing time
between those two and Hessong Kim. But between those three guys,
one guy actually has something to prove. That is Hessng
Kim so and he has he has team control. I
don't know. I think I think he'll be around. I
think he'll be a factor.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
I mean, if Miguel and Kei k don't get signed
by another team and they wait until the end of
the season, the end of the off season like they
did last year to bring Key K back, it may
be a situation of non roster invite to spring training
for both of those guys, if they're not picked up
by any of the other twenty nine clubs, and then
they battle, the three of them battle it out in
spring training.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
Yeah, I mean, Miguel Rojas, I'm still going to die
in the hill that that he comes back. I think
he means so much of that clubhouse, He means so
much to the front office and him just being a
you know, a vocal leader back in the clubhouse.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
But that's essentially they're the same dude.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
They are, and that's what makes us really tough, you know.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
But yeah, I love them both to death. But I
don't know that you can have three utility guys, you know.
Speaker 3 (37:49):
Yeah, plus plus Tommy Edmund. You know, he's still going
to be around. He's having ankle surgery, uh this week
at some point. So I don't know if we actually
had a fully bold prediction there, because that is a
tough conversation for the front office. I'm still gonna die
on the hill that I had two weeks ago. As
much as I want Kik back, I think they go
(38:10):
Miguel Rojas because it's one year over Kikh, and I
don't think he is going to want to wait to
sign a contract until March like he did last year.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
I don't know, but I think he knows he's probably
only going to get a one year deal anywhere that
he goes. So unless somebody like comes up like soon
in free in a yeah, free agencies in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Listen. I love him.
Speaker 1 (38:32):
I just don't think that there's a billion guys, you know,
a billion teams knocking down his door, you know what
I mean.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
And that's that's a stark reality that a lot of
other teams aren't in the same position the Dodgers are
into sign somebody who essentially is just an October player.
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Correct, exactly exactly, and that's exactly right. Like if if
there's not a ton of teams that are like, oh,
we're good, we know we're making the postseason. So you know, yeah,
that's exactly exactly right. So another point that you had,
do the Dodgers resign Michael Kopek.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
That's one of my bold predictions here. Not a lot
of people talking about Michael Kopek. I'm going to be
one of the people talking about Michael Kopek. I think
he'll be back. I think it'll be a one year deal. Listen,
he was really good when they brought him over after
he was freed from the clutches of the White Sox
in twenty twenty four twenty twenty five season disaster. You
cannot state it any other way. It was an absolute disaster.
(39:28):
I think he owes them one. I think he would
like an opportunity to actually pitch for this ball club again.
Something he couldn't really do, and they got into a
nine to ten games something like that during the regular
season here in twenty twenty five. I don't know that
there's a massive market out there, so I think it'd
be a one year deal, maybe one of those one
plus ones. But I think they'll be There'll be a
Michael Kopek sighting at spring training because they need healthy
(39:53):
relievers at the start of the season. They are going
to eventually have a very very good bullpen, but you need,
you know, Devin Phillips to get healthy by mid season
and you know insert other names here. They it's gonna
be a lot like we dealt with last year, like, oh,
just give him time. Everybody will be healthy, then it's
gonna be really good.
Speaker 1 (40:12):
Well, I mean, we were healthiest when it mattered the
most in terms of starting staff. This is what I think.
I look at Michael Kopek the same way I look
at Devin Williams. Devin Williams had a really down year
for the Yankees. Michael Kopek had a terrible year for us,
so perhaps you know he has a he has a
bounce back here. Devin Williams has a bounce back here,
(40:32):
and that that's two really solid arms in that in
that Dodgers wolfpen.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
Mm hmm. And there that that's uh, well, we'll pull
the wool over everybody's eyes or the other way around.
I'm saying that wrong anyways. The final bold prediction, Yeah,
I do believe the Dodgers signed Devin Williams. I think
everything is out there. The pieces are in place for
for him to want to come to l A. The
Dodgers need him, can use him, he would. There's a
(40:57):
if you can get better, if Devin Williams could get
better by working with the Dodgers, you know pitching gurus.
They need an eventual replacement, like I said earlier for
Blake Trinon, who has only one year left on his deal.
But maybe they need a replacement at the back end
of the bullpen for him this year because he was
not great in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
You know, they like the bullpen as the collective wasn't
great in twenty twenty.
Speaker 3 (41:22):
Five breaking news, they weren't. They weren't so.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
In twenty twenty four in the World Series and in
the postseason, they just they were not good. That was
the biggest question mark all season long, was the Dodgers bullpen,
especially towards the end of the year, they just weren't
good and there was that constant revolving door, which is
why Dave Robert should get more credit than he does
because of the way he handles everything.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
No votes in the Manager of the Year world right now,
that is not even a down ballot vote, and that's embarrassing.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
That's so ridiculous because everyone's like, oh, they're the Dodgers,
they should automatically win.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
People not being exceptionally happy about my Copek re signing,
I will note I'm not saying he's going to be
re signed to be a a back end of the
bullpen guy, a closer for this team. More so a
healthy right the righty throwing arm. For that's an option.
Another guy who is competition. If he is outpitched by
somebody like Evan Phillips when he comes back and is
(42:20):
healthy in the second half of the season, or if
Ben Casparius out pitches him, if Anthony Bonda out pitched him,
so on and so forth, those guys will get more opportunities.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
But and we didn't talk eire, we didn't talk about
this either.
Speaker 2 (42:32):
I'm super psyched that they brought Alex s Messia back. Good. Yeah,
that's great.
Speaker 3 (42:38):
One percent needed to be back that that he is
the leader in that bullpen and you know you saw
it by the World Series. It showed his absence absolutely
showed just as a heart and soul kind of dude
for that ball club. But there's our long way around
some bold predictions. Hopefully people enjoyed that. Again, I don't
(42:58):
think it's gonna be an overly exciting off so.
Speaker 2 (43:02):
It doesn't need to be.
Speaker 3 (43:03):
And that doesn't need to be. It doesn't need to
be if it is a lot of resignings. If it is,
you know, Miguel Rojas and Keith Ahernan is a Michael Kopek.
I mean, we should be excited if they land Devin
Williams and are able to bring in Stephen Kwan, but
don't be uh, don't be mad when it's not the
most exciting, most exciting offseason. That said, I think we
can get into last Nick's last licks. Now what do
(43:25):
you think?
Speaker 2 (43:27):
Agreed? Always?
Speaker 1 (43:33):
All right, guys, thanks for letting me do this. I
appreciate it very much. This is Trooper. He is adorable.
He's not even a year old, but he's such a
good boy. He's healthy, he's neutered, he's vaccinated. He's a sweetheart.
He gets along swimmingly with other pups. He's good with kids.
He was going to be euthanized at the shelter uh
in Downey just because he had a broken leg.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
He's all fixed up. He's awesome.
Speaker 1 (43:55):
So if you're interested in adopting Trooper, please let me know.
He's being foster in Aliso Viejo, California, but he wants
to go to his forever home for the holidays.
Speaker 2 (44:05):
So reach out. Let me know.
Speaker 1 (44:06):
Getriysguardian dot orger hit me up on social before we
sign off. Clint Baseball thought for the road. I don't
know if you guys saw it, but recently the twenty
twenty six Hall of Fame ballot is out. There's about
twelve new names on there, and former Dodger Matt Kemp
is on the list. Your thoughts of the likelihood of
my favorite number twenty seven getting into the Hall?
Speaker 3 (44:28):
I would love it. He is not a Hall of Famer.
Love you, Matthew Ryan Kemp not a Hall of Famer.
The fact that he's on this list, well, one makes
me feel extremely old. That one I can't get away
from because I remember this kid coming out of being
part of the Jacksonville five that won the it was
the Southern League Double A championship back in two thousand
(44:51):
and four, two thousand and five, watching those dudes come
up make their debuts him, Russ Martin, Andre Ethie or
John Box, Chad Billingsley. Watching those guys come up and
make a difference with the past. Yeah, uh, he was
somebody who was. But anyways, yeah, I don't know. I
just don't see Hall of Fame credentials. Uh, definitely an
(45:13):
MVP robbed an MVP.
Speaker 2 (45:15):
But no, that's.
Speaker 1 (45:16):
That's exactly what I was gonna say. I don't see
Matti Camp getting into the Hall of Fame. But I
will tell I will say this, you better not let
that motherfucker And I'll tell you that right now because
if it was for him here, yeah.
Speaker 2 (45:28):
Ryan Bron's on the list. So if if Ryan Brown.
Speaker 1 (45:33):
Didn't do what he did and lie about everything, Matt
Kemp would have gotten the m v P that year.
Speaker 3 (45:40):
Do you think there's more of a case, more of
a Hall of Fame case if he wins that m VP.
Speaker 1 (45:45):
For Matt No, I still don't think that that he's
an MVP just based on numbers, and I don't know.
Speaker 2 (45:50):
I mean it certainly wouldn't hurt.
Speaker 3 (45:52):
Yeah, maybe maybe he's I think I think he'll be
a one and done. Maybe he wouldn't be a one
and done if he was a former league MVP. But yeah,
I don't think he gets the five percent vote. Not
that there's a lot of you know, I guess there
are some pretty decent names on there.
Speaker 1 (46:04):
But.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Yeah, I mean there, Jimmy Rawlins is on there. I
mean they've been on before. But yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1 (46:13):
I don't think anybody on that list actually gets in,
to be honest with you, not.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
Not via the normal b b W A A vote.
Speaker 1 (46:20):
I think as things expand and you know, time and
there's all these other ways to get into the hall.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Now, maybe Jimmy Rowlins gets in, I don't know, but
not just based on on on writers votes, I don't.
Speaker 3 (46:32):
Yeah, agree, I agree, And uh it feels like as
good a time as any to hit that sign off button.
Went on too long, you.
Speaker 1 (46:39):
Guys, Yeah, yeah, anyway, good to be with you guys,
Thank you so much for listening. Clinton and I are
back normal time on Thursday, We're back to our Monday
Thursday rotation in this offseason to talk about I'm gonna
try to get a guest on a player guest, and
so then go Dodgers Bye. In
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Two Guys, Five Rings: Matt, Bowen & The Olympics
Two Guys (Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers). Five Rings (you know, from the Olympics logo). One essential podcast for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Bowen Yang (SNL, Wicked) and Matt Rogers (Palm Royale, No Good Deed) of Las Culturistas are back for a second season of Two Guys, Five Rings, a collaboration with NBC Sports and iHeartRadio. In this 15-episode event, Bowen and Matt discuss the top storylines, obsess over Italian culture, and find out what really goes on in the Olympic Village.