December 22, 2024 • 45 mins
EJ and Scott discuss the Jose Trevino trade, the Paul Goldschmidt signing and a very interesting rumor about Nolan Arenado.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
What did the addition of a Bounteo podcast. I'm e J.
Fagan tonight, joined by Scott Moss. Scott, how are you good?
We got some stuff to talk about today, you know, Scott,
we I did mentioned this in the pre show, but
I gotta quickly ask you. I mean you you're old
enough to remember Ricky Henderson.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, that was a big surprise.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's shocked me. This He was really It's what He's
one of those guys who we recognized this great at
the time, but looking back, he was better than we
all recognized. He was amazing, one of those guys. I
think had we had advanced stats in the eighties, we
would have said, oh my god, yeah, he.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Would have won several MVP Awards.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
And you know, there's other stuff that I just happened
to have heard recently that he always advocated for World
Series shares for.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The more marginal guys. And that's really neat to hear.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
You don't hear that sort of thing that often about
back room what's going on, But that's neat that he
was one of the superstars and a flameboying guy, and
he was always an advocate for others, and that was
neat to hear. I mean when Hank Aaron died, I said,
he's the greatest other excluding some of the steroids guys,
the greatest, well, I guess the greatest living Hall of Famer.
(01:23):
And I don't know who the greatest living Hall of
Famer is now I haven't thought about it, but yeah,
I mean, he is the one player that I wish
I could have watched like his whole career for and
I never you know, I know I was. I was
born in nineteen eighty seven, so I remember him as
a Yankee, barely remember him, you know, in his forties
(01:45):
when he was, you know, just at the end of
his career. But yeah, man, I wish I could have
seen Ricky Henderson in his prime. So that's a shock.
Rest in peace. He was a lot of fun because
at the time he was one of those guys they
steal ninety one hundred bases, and it was sometimes a
bad idea to steal the many bases, but his percentage
(02:05):
was so good that he's the guy had made sense
for and also he was a leadoff hitter and then
he did twenty eight home runs some years, so it
was neat that he's one of those guys where you
had no idea what you're going to get within it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Back from him because he was patient.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
He drew a lot of walks, even though that wasn't
as popular at the time, but walk was exciting with
him because you knew there's literally about a I don't know,
two thirds chance he's going to try to steal a
three quarters when he got on base. And he had
a four hundred on base percentage before the nineties blew
up right like he his career, only the tail end
(02:39):
of it caught the big offense surge. The eighties were
not a time that guys could get on base four
hundred all that much, and he was just right one
hundred and six career war and by fangrafts, I think
a little higher on Baseball Reference, he had a ten
win season, a nine point seven win season, a whole
bunch of like just elite and VP level seasons, and
(03:02):
that's you know, that's with on thirty stolen bases in
nineteen eighty two, one hundred and eight, nineteen eighty three,
one hundred and nineteen eighty I mean, just I get
a player that I wish I got to see. So
that's really too bad and sixty five feels a little
young for him. All right, Well, let's talk about the
(03:23):
good stuff, which is the Yankees made a bunch of
moves and they made one non move, which I think
we really want to talk about. So let's talk about
the first one. I don't think there's a lot to
say here. Jose Travino to the Reds. They got a
reliever in return. Any thoughts on this trade, No, I
mean they're probably going to get into the backup catcher
who's not as good as Trivino, but with the emergence
(03:44):
of Wills as not just a blatoon guy or a
splitting time guy. I don't know how much it really
matters whether there's someone better or worse for thirty games
a year or whatever it is, especially since Trevino had
any declined. The arms decline meant that his edge and
defense isn't what it was. So he was a fun player.
I liked him a lot. I'll never forget how smity
(04:07):
he was when he got the pitch. He was just
unusually excited about that, and he was a big player
in a lot of ways.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Seemed like he was excited to be there. But they're
not really going to miss him.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I think the most consequential thing isn't just they got
a pretty solid believer who's a fun story. It's that
maybe saving three million dollars in the difference in salaries
is a precursor to them saying, Okay, we can spend
another twelve to fifteen million on someone else. Yeah. I agree.
He's one of the thirty best catchers in the league,
I think, and so he should start somewhere. In fact,
(04:38):
I don't even think he's gonna be starting in Cincinnati,
but he'll be kind of a one be like he
was last year with Wells. So I wish Trevino well.
Fernando Cruz looks fun. We'll learn more about him, probably
in spring training, see if he splitter is as good
as it looks, and see if the Yankees can get
him to find some control. But that's not the big news.
The big news is the Yankees have signed Paul Goldschmidt. Now, Now, Scott,
(05:02):
our listeners may know you live in the great state
of Colorado, and which means you have seen and here
you watch a lot of Rockies games. You have seen
a lot of Paul Goldschmidt over the years. So I
know a stat line. I've seen him in like small
star games, but honestly, I don't know the man. So
tell me a little bit about kind of Paul goldschmidth
the guy. Yeah, he's It's funny. There's an article in
(05:25):
the Athletic where of all the big bopper first basemen gone,
because there used to be more first basemen who were
you know, they were all the best hitter in the
league or the top five whatever, and for that you
were slightly bumped up by the steroid dealer. That's a
lot of the reasons you saw a lot of great
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
But he was that crowd. He was that good.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And the thing that has gotten some mentioned recently the
Yankee signing is that he was really good defensively. A
lot of the guy of his type, the first baseman
who's one of the best hitters of the league.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It often was kind of an oaf.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
A guy who was at first base in the old
school way because it's the place he could do the
least harm standing there, especially in the pre dh era,
that's where he'd hide, the big opus guy. But goldschmu
was jgit agile. He was bothering year right. Yeah, he's
a lot like Freddy Freeman in that way. I mean,
a pretty good comp in that way, just five years
(06:23):
older or whatever. He is. So he was a legit superstar.
But then again, so was Josh Doneldson. So I'm I've
seen him as really one of the guys in the
conversation for best in the game for a long time.
The question is how much he has left? How much
do you think he has left?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I think he's enough left.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I mean, on the one hand, at thirty seven, you
could be one bad day away from having nothing left
in the tank. On the other hand, I think he
was better last year than the rosstat line shows. There's
the fact that his expected statistics were better than and
is actual, And I'm intrigued by the fact that he
(07:02):
was better in the second half than the first. Normally
I feel like, well, I don't care whether you were
better in the second half than the first. Everybody who's
mediocre has some period when they're better than the other period.
But you know, there was a shift in Goldsmith last
year where he hit the ball as hard. He just
swung and missed more often, which can happen as he
get older the bat slows. I'm optimistically wondering if what
(07:25):
happened was that last year was when he finally took
a turn downward and he adjusted by the second half,
So could be the what you're seeing in the second half.
The improvement there when he was legit good in the
second half was him adjusting to Okay, I don't at
the bat speed I did, So this is the new me.
So I'm guardedly optimistic the second half was real. Yeah,
(07:46):
I me on a couple of things. Look, I think
you look at a stat line, it just looks like
an aging curve, right, it looks like a siam declined.
But even last year he was an above average hitter
by the expected statistics. He was an average defensive first baseman.
He wasn't super slow a good enough based runner. Like
I think, even if he just does what he did
last year, it's a massive improvement for the Yankees, who
(08:07):
had the worst first base in the league last year.
And I think that there's there's like a range of
what I expect, Like I wouldn't be shocked if he
returns to like eighty percent of his MVP form I
was just two years ago. I also wouldn't be shocked
if he's even worse than he was last year. Like
that range of possibilities is there, and the fact that
(08:27):
this guy is a borderline Hall of Famer, one of
the great best hitters of his generation. Is in good shape, right.
You mentioned he's not a two hundred and fifty pounds
first baseman at thirty seven. He's he still has a body,
has been basically never been injured. I think he give
him a little bit of rest. He's got big platoon splits,
so maybe you rest him against a tough, ridy put
(08:48):
Oswalda Cabrera in there, like treat him like a thirty
seven year old player. I think he could be really
valuable and then could be like the steal of the offseason,
or he could be Jay Bruce or Edwin Knarcion or
some of the other guy passed their pine players Yankees
have tried to get away with have not been very successful.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
At Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
But when you my least favorite narrative is well, Aronatto
is going to be the same as Josh Donaldson and
Paul goldschmant is the same as Anthony Rizzo, and yes,
we can all do dummy level pattern recognition of Gosh,
this guy resembles another guy, but that's actually not how
it works. You know, if I see a guy in
(09:29):
the street who looks like my grandpa, and I'll say, Grandpa,
it's you, and no, Grandpa died fifteen years ago, and
it would be kind of stupid for me to say
that because this guy resembles that guy.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
He's the same guy.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
And this guy probably isn't going to lose to me
at cars like Grandpa did. So that was a weird
analogy that got a little away from me. But I
guess what I'm saying is that gold Schmant's a little
different than either Donaldson or some of these other guys
who are past their prime. I also look at the
defensive numbers a little bit, and yes, he went from
gold Glover to just adequate last year. But if I
read the fangraf stuff right, and confession is that every
(10:03):
now and then Fangrafs has too many numbers, and I'll
struggle to make sure I know what I'm reading, but it.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Look like and this is predictable.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Where he lost a step is that he's making many
fewer hard plays, but he's making the same extremely high
number of routine plays that he used to, if anything,
a little more so what it makes sense is that, yes,
he's lost the ability to dive around like a jungle
cat at age thirty seven. Okay, they're on the many
thirty seven year old jungle cats who can still move.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
That's why they don't last that long in the jungle.
But he's still really surehanded.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And when we say the Yankees need a good defensive
first baseman if they have a good defensive infield.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Otherwise we mean a second first.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Baseman who can pick up the scoop and who's reliable
in the stretch and stuff like that. So I think
he's still really good at what they need a good
defensive first basement for, even if he's gonna dive around
less well, because that's not what you're talking about. You
want a guy who can pick up the throws from
rangy guys like Boltbay or at second or maybe a
range your third baseman. One of the reasons why I
(11:03):
think Josh Donaldson flops so hard as the Yankee is
his attitude, which just terrible, right, And that was evident
from the moment he got there, and frankly should have
been evident before that. Paul Goldschman what's you read on
his makeup? I mean, I don't know a ton, but
he's always been regarded as a leader, a good dude.
And I also think that I think well of guys
(11:24):
who aren't fast and steal bases like Freddie Freeman, like him,
because that tells you something.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It tells you they're a little smart in they're baseball
like you.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
They stotted that this catcher is a little balky on
his knee. You know, if you're a guy who's not
really fast and you steal eleven to eighteen bases a year,
that tells me it's not that you are faster some
days than others. It tells me that you normally would
be a guy who steals zero bases, but you're smart
and you pay attention and you work hard. Because if
(11:53):
you're not fast and you're kind of old, like Goldschmidt
or to an extent, Freeman, it means you're spotting when
the catcher looks a little bulky, or this team we're
up against a team with an older catcher who by
the eighth inning his legs are mush or this picture's
a little this reliever is a little long to the plate.
You know it tells me that he's smart. And also,
if you're not fast on your stealing bases, you're working
(12:14):
for it more than a guy who's actually a burner.
And if you're thirty seven in your stealing bases, you're
working for it. So you know, little tea leaves that
tell me this guy is a hard worker. This guy's smart.
Whereas Donaldson, apart from just being a general purpose jerk,
he also just seemed like he was totally inflexible. I mean, Donaldson,
I remember was on pace for is my son's favorite stat.
(12:36):
If he played all year, he was un paced, hit
under two hundred with sixty home runs. And that's because
here was I can tell. What he did is his
bat was too slow, so he would close his eyes
and start swinging before the ball left the picture's hand,
and every now and then it was a home run,
and usually it was a strikeout. So it told me
he was just a dump and well he would hit
a home run and then it would delay him being
released by like a week, right exactly exactly, And he's
(12:57):
not doing gould Schmid I suspected, which is that again
is an optimistic take. But if gold Schmith's stunk in
the first half by whit thing more and then he
stopped me then the second half and got better. I
think he embraced reality and adjusted to the new reality.
He's older with a slower swing. I think that's what
Donaldson never did, and so I'm optimistic about Goldschmid more so, yeah,
I agree. He Also it seems like he wants to
(13:17):
win a World Series. Goldschmid like another guy we're about
to talk about. He's got a long career with very
little playoff time. I think he made the Championship Series
once and got swept, And so I get the sense
that he and somebody else are they're thinking of this,
not just as like you know, they get to hang
around the game a little longer, but maybe they get
(13:38):
to go to the World Series and try to try
to not have that stain on their career. I mean,
I wouldn't be shocked if Goldman wants to stick around
long enough to maybe squeak past sixty wins and get
a shot at the Hall of Fame. I think that's
definitely a possibility. But I like a player that cares
that much about winning, where I never got the sense
that Josh Donaldson really wanted to go out with the
(13:59):
World Series, even though he had a similar kind of
lack of success on his resume, and again two years
ago he won the MVP, So like there's real ceiling
left there, Like this guy has the talent to kind
of come back and have a great season. I hope
they rest him. I hope they sit him against tough
righties because of his pretty big platoon splits, and I
(14:19):
think I hope they move their lineup around for lefties
and rightys. Their their lineup is it's it's got some
platoon imbalance, and Goltiman I think would be a great
guy to hit next to in front of judge or
around judge against a lefty, but against alrighty. I want
him down farther at least until he kind of proved
that he's back. If he's going to be back, don't
do lineup stuff once we know what the full lineup
(14:41):
is quickly. More thing about the signing though, and why
I think that people disappointed didn't get Christian Walker, maybe
missing the mark apart from the fact that maybe there's
some money limit. As much as we might bemoan that,
you know he is much cheaper than Walker. Not just
this coming year a little cheaper, but three years. But
also Walker would have cost him two more draft picks,
(15:03):
and that's going to get the qualifying golfer. So in
a sense, if I'd like DESI to pretend, let's pretend
we lived in a world where we didn't have to
have stupid discussions about qualifying offers, and you know, the
quasi salary cap and the luxury taxt and all the
bs that makes us feel like where accountants rather than
baseball fans. It's simply put, would you rather have Christian
(15:26):
Walker or would you rather have Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
If the cost of Paul.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Goldsmith he's free, and the cost of Christian Walker is
two young prospects, I might go with gold Schmith. I agree.
I think I think Christian Walker he's He's the safe bet, right,
He's the guy who I think at least next year
will be good. Christian Walker had a bad second half,
is up there in age, is less talented than Paul
(15:53):
gold Schmith. I think there's good reason to think that
even the three year deal the Astros got is a
risky deal, and I think the nice thing about Goldsman
is a one year deal. If something goes wrong, like
he's gone and you can reallocate that money to Vlack,
Gerrero Junior to whatever, right like you have options there,
or if he's good, you bring him back. And Goldshman
(16:14):
has a couple of years, you know, goes out as
a Yankee. Let me ask you quickly though. Right after
Goldsmith signed, we got the double move. Cleveland traded Josh Naylor,
who's getting paid about the same amount as Goldmi, to
the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then Cleveland signed Carlos Santana for
about the same amount. Would you rather have either of
those guys since the money he's basically the same. The
(16:34):
trade for from Cleveland was not a lot. They didn't
get a lot in return for Naylor. They give him
a fairly legit prospect for him, I thought, I mean,
not a world beater, but a guy who's major league
ready and wasn't great last year. But you know, Naylor's
band defensively, and it's not clear he's that much better
a hitter. I mean, he's basically twenty percent above league
(16:55):
average Josh Naylor.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
I'm not convince the.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Gold Smith won't be that next year. I mean, you
have to guess that nailor will be better than gold
Schmidt next year as a hitter the game basically a
Will Warren level picker. But that's what's saying. Yeah, so
if you asked me, like again, I like to pretend
we're not accountants, have to worry about text UITs and stuff.
And if you ask me, would you.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Rather have.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Paul gold Schmidt and you keep Will Warren or Josh
Naylor and you give up Will Warren.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
It's kind of the same character as as Christian Walker.
I'd rather have Goldman.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I don't think he's so reliably worse or so much
worse that it would give up prospects for the slight,
potentially non difference. By the way, I didn't realize this
that they gave up a competitive balance Round D pick,
which not only is a pick but also comes with
six million dollars in international bonus money ten So that
was that was pretty valuable. So okay, since they Yeah,
so Walker Josh Naylor essentially cost two prospects. Walker cost
(17:51):
two worse prospects because their upcoming draftees who are further
away and who knows who they are in the lower rounds.
But either way, both of them cost two prospects just
Nailer a little more than what a which is kind
of weird in a way. Yeah, I might go with
gold Schmid. What about Carl Santana. I mean, he's like fifty, so,
you know, I feel like it's great that he was
good in defense, but last year was the first year
(18:13):
he was above average in a while. It's the opposite
of gold Schmidt, who was like average last year. But
that's his trough and he could be better again next year.
I think there's a limit on how much I'll believe
the old guy will get better.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
I believe it for Goldschmidt, worre than Santana.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Yeah, I agree. All right, let's talk about I think
the most interesting rumor we have. The Yankees attempted to
offered to the Cardinals Nolan Aeronado for Marcus Stroman, and
the Cardinals turned it down. They said, no, we don't
want to do that. Let me tell you, you know,
I have a theory of this trade, but I actually
(18:49):
want to get my Colorado. Rocky Scout's opinion on Aeronado Right,
his stats look bad. His defense is still pretty great,
but his hitting is his way down. Do you think
he still has three years left in the tank. Yeah.
By the way, I have to tell you there are
a bunch of reasons I'm rooting for this trade, but
here is probably the least important but most passionate one
(19:11):
for me. I own a Nolan Aernaudo Yankees jersey. Really, yes,
because when the rumors were that the Rockies have to
trade him because they're on the outside, Aernado because the
Rockies had the worst gender manager in history, and he
got a feud with Aeronado, and then they made the
trade because Aeronauda went out literally to troll chrus Field.
I got a custom Yankees jersey. It's a Yankees jersey's
(19:33):
Aeronauto twenty eight on the back, and I wore to
a lot of Rockies games. And the funny thing is
the Yankees and Rockies jerseys looks similar enough that it
looked like an aeronaut jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
So I got these awesome double takes.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So I can't believe that my jersey might be possibly
coming true years later. That's pretty cool. And yeah, that trade,
the Aeronauto trade to Saint Louis, that's one of the
worst trades I've ever seen. Yes, the Rockies covered a
ton of his salary, he was still good. They didn't
need to do that, right. It was literally like the
stupid trade with the stupid guy in your fantasy league.
It's like, if you give me your good player, I
(20:06):
will give you four guys, and four guys could beat
up one guy, so that sounds great. You know, there's
the principle that whoever got the best guy in the
trade wins, and that's often true. It's not always true,
but it's certainly true if you go for like volume,
they got four guys, but not one of them was
like in the top one hundred list in baseball, So
it was literally I think I bet other general managers
(20:28):
were snickering at the winter meetings about how the lowd
you pull it off. I bet the Rockies got a
lot more calls for trades after that, just to see if, like,
when you spot that one guy's the sucker in your
fantasy league, everybody's trying to trade with him.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
But you know, yeah, that was ridiculous and horrible.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And the reason that they are now trade now is
interesting is that a lot of the money on his
contract is either deferred or it is it is being
covered by the Rockies, and so he's effectively owed three
year sixty million dollars. There's some deferred money. The Aberagal
value is actually high, a hair higher. Usually the Yankees
like the opposite a lower aav the Astros, the Cardinals
(21:06):
and Astros had a deal where I think it was
fifteen million dollars was covered by the Cardinals. So the
Cardinals said, Okay, it's now forty three year, forty five
million dollar deal for Nolan Ernado. Do you think that's
a good deal.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's a great deal.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
It's funny because when we talked about him as a
possibility in our prior podcast. I think it makes a difference,
silly as the sounds, whether he's really owed sixty four
or sixty because we're all in agreement. I think you
Domini that if the cost of Aeronauta gets down to
like fifteen million for three.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Years, we literally said that's a good deal.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
The question is how much of the twenty one in
change a year are they paid down. But if he's
twenty a year, and if the Cardinals were willing to
eat it, I think that I think this gets done.
This is starting to look like the Bellinger deal, where
it's makes too much sense. For both teams, and the
Yankees are willing to pay the amount being asked for
and they're just trying to haggle about this million, that million,
(22:04):
the last million. I think the Yankees would absolutely pay
that amount or really close to it.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Yeah, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
So I basically agree, but I have a slightly different theory.
So the trade they turned down was Marcus Stroman, and
I think I think that they would have taken Marcus
Struman's salary, and then the Yankees would have taken all
of Aeronautus salary. So it's like a it was kind
of one way of preaching that. But the Cardinals have
no reason to get Marcus Struman, right. They already have
like three guys just like Marcus Struman on the roster,
(22:33):
Miles Nicholas, Stephen Mattz, Eric Fetti, like guys who will
eat innings. They'll be fine, they'll keep you in games.
But this is a rebuilding team. They don't need a
bunch of those guys, right. They want to give their
young pitchers a chance to play. And so there's lots
of teams that might be interested in Marcus Struman, probably
not at eighteen million dollars, but may be interested at
(22:53):
Marcus Strouman at ten million dollars or twelve million dollars.
Stroman has a vesting option, so that could be two years.
And so you can imagine the Yankees trading him to
some team for nothing for you know, and taking on
six million dollars and then another six million dollars if
his option bests or something like that. And that's that
(23:14):
is about fifteen that that that you can imagine that
basically being fifteen million dollars. Maybe the Yankees take an
extra couple of million more than the Astros would for
Nolan Aeronaudo. But then this fascinating league happens. So we
have this really interesting article with three bylines, which for
a baseball article is a lot of reporting. Mark Feinstein,
(23:34):
Brian Hok, John Denton. So Hok is the Yankees beat reporter,
Feinstein is the Yankees or New York area beat reporter.
I don't know who John Denton is, but a very
well reported article. This was saying gold Schmidt to the
Yankees and Aeronauda to the Yankees yesterday. So before gold
Schmid signs and when they say is first off, Goldschmith's
probably going to the Yankees, and second quote sources added
(23:59):
that the You're in first basement's potential presence in New
York could have a strong influence on former teammate No
One Aeronado waving is no trade clause to play for
the Yankees. So the two of them are clearly friends.
I think the two of them and maybe their agents
are talking. They knew when a day ago that Goldschmidt
(24:20):
was going to sign with the Yankees. They knew that
that was going to come, and someone in Aeronado Ernado's
cap camp decided to go to some reporters and say,
No One Ernado wants to be a Yankee. He has
not previously waved his no trade claws to the Yankees.
If you look at the teams he waves no trade
clause too. It's three Northeast teams and three California teams Padres, Dodgers, Angels, Mets,
(24:43):
Red Sox, Phillies. I believe none of those teams need
a third basement, like every except for the Angels. Every
one of those teams has third base covered unless you
like move ral field evers around or something like that.
The Astros didn't need a third basement, or rather didn't
need a third basement, wanted Nolan and Ernado have a
chance to win a World Series, and Aeronautus said, no,
(25:04):
I don't want to go to the Astros. The Yankees
are the only team left. Right, Aeronatto is signaling I
want to be a Yankee, and it's his no trade class,
so he can choose whether or not to wave it,
so he can say, or the Yankees can say, Cardinals,
if you want to get out from under his salary,
you have no other choice but to deal with us,
(25:25):
which means that they can get the Astros deal. They
can get a better deal than the Astros, and I
think that they basically have the Cardinals between a rock
and a hard place. Is saying I will only wave
my no trade class for the Yankees.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
This is John over there?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
This is John Carlos Stanton will over again?
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Right? Yeah, because Stanton had a trade to the Cardinals.
Actually I think it was, and I got to wish
that had happened, but but no, I'm not waving my
no trade class to go to the Cardinals. I think
uh and John Crayons ended up taking some of John
Carlos Ston's contract even back you know, right coming off
with the MVP. And so I think the Yankees might
(26:07):
get a deal on on Aeronado, like I think. I
think they're the only buyer in town. And for Saint
Louis has no reason to hold onto Aeronata. They're not
gonna like save him for what right? Erna says, I
want out of town. They're saying we're rebuilding. They don't
have a shot danel central that you're even with him.
He's not that good. He's not putting butts in the
seats in the stands. I don't think. I think this
is like I think not only do I think this
(26:30):
is going to happen. I think the Yankees just have
to find a take over Stroman to clear some money
off the payroll. And then I think they basically get
to like name their price on Aeronauta. And and as
long as it's enough money that the Cardinals are motivated
to get rid of him, I think is a Yankee
And and and they're you said that they're just haggling
over a couple of million dollars and the Yankees just
(26:51):
kind of playing hard to get the Docs not gonna
take much of a prospect. It's gonna be a Cody
Potitu level kind of thing. Maybe Adam Warren Will Warren
is heading towards Saint Louis or something, and I think
I think Erinado is like definitely a Yankee, unless it
was gold Smith or Aeronauta, right, it could that could
be the case. But I really do think that this
(27:11):
this leak is a strategic statement by Nolan Aeronaudo saying
you have to trade me to the Yankees. My buddy
call Paul Goldchmit's there. I want to be a Yankee.
He's always said he wants to live in the Northeast.
I want to win a World Series. The Yankees have
as good a chance as anyone at this point. I
I to me like, I'm kind of like like writing
(27:32):
him into third base in my head. Now, Yeah, I
think you're right about rocking a hard place. It makes
too much sense. It sounds very much like Couldy Bellinger,
which it made all the sense in the world send
them when there were articles saying, well, they're five million apart,
and it seems like that's insurmountable.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
I think there was a strategic leak to.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Basically threaten implosively to walk away and they're just haggling
over the surplus between them.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I gotta say this idea that Nado, I can't.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Think it face value of the reports that Aeronato had
a list of six teams he wants to go to,
but now that his friend is going there, he'll go there.
This is like I'll go to summer camp if Timmy goes,
because Timmy's my BFF, bestie friend forever, Right, it sounds
like that. I don't think it's really that, by the way,
I think this is not really probably the case. Who knows,
but I think it'd be amazing if they signed Ernado
(28:21):
and it turns out that Aeronado and Goldschmid had a
torrid love affair and that's why he really wants to
follow his boyfriend here. I think that's probably not the case.
I don't have any intel of that from Colorado, but boy,
that'd be the most outstanding story to learn years later.
I always thought about a lot of egos in that clubhouse.
Both both Ernado and Goldsmith joined, you know, they already
(28:43):
existing seven stars. Yeah, and then but here's the other possibility.
I think it's possible that Aeronauto or his agent is
actually a business genius because, as you noted, Aeronauto had
a list of six teams and then the debating whether
this is a realist or not in the media. But
it was a weird list because it's teams that are
competitors for playoffs World Series next year. But Virgitie, none
(29:04):
of them actually need a third baseman. It's a this
of Southern Californian teams and competitive teams that have or
don't need a third basement. Like them me a third
basement at all, right, I mean, like all of them
need other positions. But like that, you have Max Munsey
in Los Angeles, you have Manny Machada going nowhere. In
San Diego, you have Raphael dever is not wanting to
(29:26):
move off a first third base. In Boston, you have
the Mets with I think Jeff McNeil is playing third
base right now, like there's there is no Alex Bowman
in Philly, like right, none of those guys are worse
than Melan aern Nolan Ernado is the worst player playing
third base in any of those places. And everybody in
the world knows that the Yankees need a third basement, right,
(29:47):
So he's the thing is that Aeronauta wants to move
because Aeronaudo is hyper competitive, wants to win. His whole
falling out with the Rockies was the Rockies there was
one year when they had a window, they a lot
of em talent, They won like eighty eight games. The
Dodgers win eighty eight game and the Rockies didn't go
for it at the trade deadline, and Aeronauto was furious
about this. He was right, you know, he was basically
(30:09):
saying what all the fans were thinking, and they could
have taken the Dodgers, but they did like nothing of
value the trade deadline, and that was the year they
could have taken the Dodgers and they lost the division
by one game. And there's a team.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
That's never won the division.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
So this we need to falling out and he was
critical of that, and the general manager got into a
public feud with him about this, which is idiotic. The
general manager, you know, he didn't just even if Aeronaut's
being pissy, Jeff brid it's the general manager says said,
you know, I appreciate that Nola wants to win. That's
what we all love about him. And we're doing the best.
He's doing his best. And we all got to just
you know, we're on the same team here. I'm on
(30:43):
the same page as Nolan, and I want to be
frustrated we're not winning.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yet go team Instead, He's like, well, Nolan needs to
respect that I'm the general manager, right, And there's a
reason that Jeff Brider Jeff are being canned by the
Rockies has never worked again in baseball.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
And shouldn't so. Aeronaut is competitive. He wants to win.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
But if he wants to win and he wants to
be traded, he can't quite just give like one or
two teams he wants to go to.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So maybe he gave this the six teams to.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Look like he's trying to be reasonable, but he named
six teams that don't make any sense. So I think
he might have been doing this so that he has
to be consulted on trades.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
And I think he'd love to go to the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
He wants he likes the attention, he likes the bright lights,
big city. He wished he had more of it in Colorado.
I think it's a great mass potentially. I mean, turning
down Houston is such a tell to me, right, because
if you just care about winning like other than the
Yankees in the AL Houston. Is it like it's an
easy decision to say, you know, I want to go
to Houston, you know, and you know, you know, Texas
(31:42):
is a nice, nice place. You know. He's like, I
just don't. I don't because he they traded Kyle Tucker
and they're letting the premise of getting him is letting
Alex Breddan go.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think Aaron I.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Was getting flashbacks to the Rockies, the team not trying
to win by keeping good talent and getting good talent. Yeah,
if I were him, I think Houston looks like a
bunch of tools that's half ass trying. Yeah, well, I
think I think when the Christian Walker signing, I think
I think he's just pretty good. Like I think, I
think they're they're basically as good as they were last
year and they were probably the second best team in
(32:15):
the AL. But that's for another podcast, all right, So
let me you read on a loan Aernauto Clubhouse, chemistry,
makeup wise, Is he a good dude? Yeah, I mean
I think that there's evidence that it could be kind
of a dick. I think I mentioned a prayer podcast,
but I love this one. It was that there's a
throw he made the first base and it went in
the dirt and the guy was safe. And then then
(32:36):
the meeting of the mound, just the standard okay man
on first and second. All the infielders went to the
mound except Aeronauto. Aeronauta was standing around third base kicking
the dirt and yelling at the dirt. And it's not
clear whether he was yelling at himself for being a
throw in the dirt or yelling.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
At the first baseman. They were both kind of plausible.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Even if he's just yelling at himself, it looked to
the crowd like he might have been yelling about the
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
So there's a guy who's head of the juices.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Can maybe make him kind of a dick at times,
and his public comments were addictised toward the general manager.
But you know what, but I think everybody in Colorado
God that it comes from a good place.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
This guy wants to win so hard.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
And he's going to all be annoyed with the management
at Colorado if we were stuck there. Yeah, exactly, So,
I think that this guy who wants to be so
badly in his defense, here's the thing, he was not
a hyper talented top hundred prospect. He was an okay prospect.
I think it's just force of effort and personality. I mean,
the way he's a great defender is he will dive
and land on.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
His face if he has to do to get a ball.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Like he's just one of those guys, and everybody respected
the heck out of that. I mean, he wasn't a
great third baseman one of the best ever because he's
the most agurb guy.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Like the ones asked him, could you play shortstop?
Speaker 1 (33:42):
He's like, no, man, I don't to get the chops
for that, Like I just don't have the range for that.
And it's true, like a lot of the best third
basemen you'd think they could play shortstop. He knows he couldn't.
I think this is a triumph of just effort and
determination over raw talent. I mean, he has a good
amount of raw talent, but not as much as the
guy he was.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
So I think this guy tries super hard.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
He can rub people the wrong maybe baby, but hey man,
maybe the Yankees need more of that. He's a guy
who's a top ten MVP of Ward winner five years
in a row. I think at one point in Colorado
and basically went nowhere. I like that he wants to win, right,
Like he's a guy who's who's he has what eight
career playoff games? Like he doesn't want to retire, like
that he's a he's a competitor. I am. I I
(34:24):
was lukewarm on Aeronado until I've realized one how little
money he's actually owed so that you could get him
for a reasonable price. And then when I realized he
actually wanted to be Yankee and to me, like, you know,
I respect that and I'm up for it. So yeah,
I'm going to predict to get him. I think I
think that that trades in the works. I think they
(34:45):
have dump Stroman first, and that's the way you make
the money work. I mean, you could dump Strowman an
effectively free up fifteen million dollars or Strowman and Trent
Grisham and for Stroman and the three million they just
save by trading Trevino, because I believe I believe that
they are that they are basically at three hundred. Okay,
so me another bit. But again, you and I talked
(35:06):
about this, and I again, I'm not blessed with the
great accounting knowledge, and I, you know, I would just
have to give up being a baseball fan if I
had to read the CBA cover to cover to follow
what's happening in baseball. But am I right that there's
no penalty for being this third luxury tax threshold like
an extra prospect penalty. It's just money, right, So if
(35:27):
they're two million dollars over, they pay a higher percentage
rate on that last two million. That's really the whole thing.
I can't imagine. Here's the other reason I think you're
right that aeronaut is going to happen. If you look
at who else is there as a third basement or
second basement, it is bleak band. You're down to. I
looked at it. You're down to Jose Iglesias or Donovan Solano,
(35:48):
who's older than Paul Goldschmidt. I mean, you're really down
to the dregs of the Frieggan market, Paul DeJong.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
There's kind of nobody the young.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Asa Cabrera platoon. Yeah, but clearly I think I think
they've decided that here's the thing you and I are
a similar mind, which is that it's not fair that
they're so down on Paraza enough to not even give
him a shot, but they are. That's the way it is.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Let's accept the reality.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
I think the correctly spotted that Cabrera is a super
utility guy, not in everyday player.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
If we go off what they've shown they think of
these guys before.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
They really don't believe in any of these guys as
a starting third baseman. I think I think the platoon
makes it Paraza. I wouldn't be shocked to see them
bring him out of the roster for opening Day and
have him play against lefties. He actually has really strong
numbers against left He's had a really good good second half. Like,
I think something work there, and he's still pretty young
(36:45):
and still really talented. Cabrera, Like, I just don't think
he's that talented, right Like, I think he's one of
those guys who, through like moxie and hard work, manages
to like somehow have a major league career. But he's
just like not that like, but he's the routy of
the Yankees. Yeah exactly, and that's fine. Is like your
twenty six guy, backup first baseman, backup third basement there, right,
Like he could still hit righty's pretty well. He had
(37:06):
like a seven something with ps against Rity's last year.
That's great. I just to me, I think I think
that that that's not plant. Like the Yankees are clearly
trying to build a complete roster. This is they're one
player away from having a full nine hitters, all of
which you think are at least average, yes, and maybe
(37:28):
much better. Right, one of them are in Judge. But
also you have you know, you have three or four
guys in that list that if you told me there
were four to five win players, I would not at
all be shocked. And I mean some of them. In
Jazz was a four win player last year, and I
just I'm excited for that because the Yankees haven't completed
a roster in a long time. If the Yankees say,
(37:52):
if we hear Brian Cashman say we're done, like we're
not for labor reasons, I can't. You can't actually say
we're not anenom guys. But they could signal like we're done,
we're going to go with a Jerry Ragged option in
the infield. I'd be fine with that because, like they're
still spending three undy million dollars and they I think
they're already better than they were at the end of
last year just because they got just audition by subtraction mostly.
(38:16):
But I think you don't trade Caleb Durban if you
don't expect to fill all nine spots because he was
your next best guy to play second base or something.
If you think they're going to do something right. If
you're running tryouts, you wouldn't give up one of the
two leading people for the tryout. It's basically what you're saying.
And also I agree with you in that I would
(38:38):
be disappointed if they don't get Aeronauto or some goofy
trade where they trade Stroman for a guy who's good
but overpaid. I mean, that's the sort of thing Cash
might get away with it. But if they don't get
someone who's basically above average, like Aeronato or something like that,
I'd be disappointed. Because I'll tell you what I think that, yes,
you lose Sodo, you know, recovered from losing Soto, accept
(39:00):
the lineup typically had Soto and three guys who were
not major league hitters, sometimes Dugos, sometimes DJ, sometimes Rizzo
or Rice. So if you average out Wam, Sodo and
three stiffs, I think those four spots might be better.
If you're asking is a lineup better with Sodo and
three stiffs or with like Bellinger, Aroonato, Goldschmidt. You know,
(39:25):
I think that last year, right, like they had They
were negative one and a half wins at first base
last year, right, So if those guys, I think the Yankees,
the Yankees don't need to do that much to have
a massive improvement. And then you're basically comparing like Sodo
to Max Freed or something, right, like your your Soto
(39:45):
is still the eight win player, but it's not that
hard to make up three or four wins on last
year's roster without doing very much. And they've done it, right,
because if you had a Sodo Verdugo the War of
Soto Verdugoe and then they had first base, you know,
and some of us I think if they get Ronado,
it pushes the bench to be actually guys who are
(40:06):
all average major leaguers are better, because I kind of
hate Trent Chrishian, but look, he has annoying skills that
are lame, but he's actually on the net probably close
to an average major league player, and the same for Cabrera,
you know, So if they get Ronado, then there're benches
guys who'd be second division starters. There's very little scenario
where they have a stiff in the lineup, So I
think that aaron On makes it. It furthers what you said,
(40:29):
like they're close to having a complete team. I think
with him, even the backups are good. I agree. All right,
let's uh, let me get a quick prediction from you.
So two things. One is an Ernado. If it's not Ernado,
is there another move you think they might might might
make and does that move happen before Christmas?
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Sh that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
I think Aernaudo, I'll go so far as to say,
a really bet Aronauda happens before Christmas. This seems like
Bell and Jonet's the obvious move. They're just taggling about
a fairly small amount of millions. I mean, once they
had to deal with the Astros. We know that it's
the starting point or a deal they're willing to do.
So they're just trying to see if the Yankees are
pay more or the Yankees are trying to see if
they'll pay less, And they'll probably compromise on neither more
(41:13):
nor less, because I think there's not another option. I
think if this doesn't happen. I fear they're just gonna
go with a competition. The most annoying option would be
they pass up a competition til a youngster like pros
a chance and they sign jose Iglesius for some nonsense
like that. Yeah, I think it's I think I think
Aaron as Yankee like to me, it's like it seems
(41:36):
almost inevitable at this point, but I think it just
takes time to make these You gotta find someone to
take Stroman. You got to haggle that deal, right, You
got to figure out the money of that deal you have.
And lets unless how Steinbrunner is okay with them finding
someone later to take Stroman, But but I suspect that
Stroman's got to go first, so you know how much
money you save on that? And then I think you
(41:59):
got I think there's a you got to have building
time for, like a game of Chicken between the Cardinals
and the Yankees, where the Cardinals are like pretending they
can send him somewhere else, and he can and he's
not going anywhere else, and then eventually they land on
a price. I think it's gonna be three years, forty
five what the Yankees get get an out four, which
is exactly Hammer Candelario's deal deal. He's a little bit younger,
(42:19):
but he was basically a two and a half win
player when he was dealt or when he was a
free agent, and so I think it kind of makes sense.
And I was more talented than Cande Lario. Candelario's younger
three years forty five for a two and a half
wins third baseman, pretty good, And so I think that's
the deal. But I think that happens probably after the
New year. I think that could be. I think that
in about the money. One thing they could do is
(42:41):
you could see this the Cardinals like to I'm not
an expert on the Cardinals, but I was listening. The
roundtable does a lot with the Cardinals. Word of Katie,
who was really good at getting intel. You could see
the Cardinals screaming, trying to scream we're not giving up.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Would be good in the future. So you could see
something like I'm just.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Looking at the bottom of the Yankees top thirty prospect list,
something like we are you know, the Yankees take on
forty million, but also give him like a near bottom
of the top thirty with the guy who's almost ready
for the majors. Ever sin ple or something I think lower.
I think like some picture who's in double A, like
I don't know what Cam Shi writer Tristian Reeling. I'm
(43:23):
picking fun names. Savior Marty is an amazing name. But
you know, I think you Andrews go miss someone like that,
someone where they could say we're rebuilding or retooling. By
the way, there's one super fun option this, so I
would guess like they give him some prospect as face
saving the Cardinals. There's one fun option that's not gonna happen,
but it would be amazing, which is this. Steve Cohen
(43:43):
trades for aeronatam, takes on forty six million, beating up
the Yankees forty five, and then he turns around and
trades him too another team for thirty six million. And
what he says is, you know what, we're the big
dog in New York. I just didn't want the Yankees
to get better. So I'm eating ten million dollars to
deprive the Yankees. What's good though, I you know, I
(44:04):
think I think that if I'm a major league team,
I'm offering prospects to Cohen for money. Yeah, and in
fact that the Yankees would pay pay Steve Cohen to
take each of the mayhew off your books, right, who cares?
But would Steve Cohen become like a w A World
Wrestling Federation heel if he did that? If he just
like bought Aeronauta for a million bore the Yankees then
(44:25):
turned around for a loss and just that, Yeah, I
did it, so the Yankees didn't get him.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
We're the big dog in New York.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I mean yes, but like I I think there's limits
to what you can do as an owner, Like there's
a there's a legislative body of twenty nine other owners
that that can do whatever they want to you. So yeah,
I'm I'm not sure that that that would happen, but
it would be fun if it gus to.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Be better, Like the New York media would love this.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
The Yankees Mets feud would get brutal, it would actually
draw attention to both teams.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
It would be kind of a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
So I'm hoping it happens, but it's obviously not gonna happen.
But I would love a return to the the Yankees
Mets feuds of the past. Those were fun. I remember
going to see Yankees Mets games as a kid, they
got a little violent and I enjoyed it. As a
hockey fan, going to Devil's Rangers games is always one
of my favorite pastimes. Scott, thank you so much for
(45:15):
coming on. Everybody, thank you for listening. This is probably
the last episode of the year and listening of the
stuff happens that we're talking about here. I don't think
we'll do an emergency podcast for a Stroman trade. We
definitely would for an Aaronado trade, but otherwise, I hope
everybody has a happy holidays. I'm taking the week after
Christmas off other than other than emergencies, and so we'll
be back in January. Thank you again for listening to
(45:36):
the podcast for this year, and I'm looking forward to
the new year. Scott, thank you for joining me. Everybody,
thank you for listening. This has been your Bronx Beat podcast.
What did the addition of a Bounteo podcast. I'm e J.
Fagan tonight, joined by Scott Moss. Scott, how are you good?
We got some stuff to talk about today, you know, Scott,
we I did mentioned this in the pre show, but
I gotta quickly ask you. I mean you you're old
enough to remember Ricky Henderson.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, that was a big surprise.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
That's shocked me. This He was really It's what He's
one of those guys who we recognized this great at
the time, but looking back, he was better than we
all recognized. He was amazing, one of those guys. I
think had we had advanced stats in the eighties, we
would have said, oh my god, yeah, he.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Would have won several MVP Awards.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
And you know, there's other stuff that I just happened
to have heard recently that he always advocated for World
Series shares for.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
The more marginal guys. And that's really neat to hear.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
You don't hear that sort of thing that often about
back room what's going on, But that's neat that he
was one of the superstars and a flameboying guy, and
he was always an advocate for others, and that was
neat to hear. I mean when Hank Aaron died, I said,
he's the greatest other excluding some of the steroids guys,
the greatest, well, I guess the greatest living Hall of Famer.
(01:23):
And I don't know who the greatest living Hall of
Famer is now I haven't thought about it, but yeah,
I mean, he is the one player that I wish
I could have watched like his whole career for and
I never you know, I know I was. I was
born in nineteen eighty seven, so I remember him as
a Yankee, barely remember him, you know, in his forties
(01:45):
when he was, you know, just at the end of
his career. But yeah, man, I wish I could have
seen Ricky Henderson in his prime. So that's a shock.
Rest in peace. He was a lot of fun because
at the time he was one of those guys they
steal ninety one hundred bases, and it was sometimes a
bad idea to steal the many bases, but his percentage
(02:05):
was so good that he's the guy had made sense
for and also he was a leadoff hitter and then
he did twenty eight home runs some years, so it
was neat that he's one of those guys where you
had no idea what you're going to get within it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Back from him because he was patient.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
He drew a lot of walks, even though that wasn't
as popular at the time, but walk was exciting with
him because you knew there's literally about a I don't know,
two thirds chance he's going to try to steal a
three quarters when he got on base. And he had
a four hundred on base percentage before the nineties blew
up right like he his career, only the tail end
(02:39):
of it caught the big offense surge. The eighties were
not a time that guys could get on base four
hundred all that much, and he was just right one
hundred and six career war and by fangrafts, I think
a little higher on Baseball Reference, he had a ten
win season, a nine point seven win season, a whole
bunch of like just elite and VP level seasons, and
(03:02):
that's you know, that's with on thirty stolen bases in
nineteen eighty two, one hundred and eight, nineteen eighty three,
one hundred and nineteen eighty I mean, just I get
a player that I wish I got to see. So
that's really too bad and sixty five feels a little
young for him. All right, Well, let's talk about the
(03:23):
good stuff, which is the Yankees made a bunch of
moves and they made one non move, which I think
we really want to talk about. So let's talk about
the first one. I don't think there's a lot to
say here. Jose Travino to the Reds. They got a
reliever in return. Any thoughts on this trade, No, I
mean they're probably going to get into the backup catcher
who's not as good as Trivino, but with the emergence
(03:44):
of Wills as not just a blatoon guy or a
splitting time guy. I don't know how much it really
matters whether there's someone better or worse for thirty games
a year or whatever it is, especially since Trevino had
any declined. The arms decline meant that his edge and
defense isn't what it was. So he was a fun player.
I liked him a lot. I'll never forget how smity
(04:07):
he was when he got the pitch. He was just
unusually excited about that, and he was a big player
in a lot of ways.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Seemed like he was excited to be there. But they're
not really going to miss him.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I think the most consequential thing isn't just they got
a pretty solid believer who's a fun story. It's that
maybe saving three million dollars in the difference in salaries
is a precursor to them saying, Okay, we can spend
another twelve to fifteen million on someone else. Yeah. I agree.
He's one of the thirty best catchers in the league,
I think, and so he should start somewhere. In fact,
(04:38):
I don't even think he's gonna be starting in Cincinnati,
but he'll be kind of a one be like he
was last year with Wells. So I wish Trevino well.
Fernando Cruz looks fun. We'll learn more about him, probably
in spring training, see if he splitter is as good
as it looks, and see if the Yankees can get
him to find some control. But that's not the big news.
The big news is the Yankees have signed Paul Goldschmidt. Now, Now, Scott,
(05:02):
our listeners may know you live in the great state
of Colorado, and which means you have seen and here
you watch a lot of Rockies games. You have seen
a lot of Paul Goldschmidt over the years. So I
know a stat line. I've seen him in like small
star games, but honestly, I don't know the man. So
tell me a little bit about kind of Paul goldschmidth
the guy. Yeah, he's It's funny. There's an article in
(05:25):
the Athletic where of all the big bopper first basemen gone,
because there used to be more first basemen who were
you know, they were all the best hitter in the
league or the top five whatever, and for that you
were slightly bumped up by the steroid dealer. That's a
lot of the reasons you saw a lot of great
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
But he was that crowd. He was that good.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
And the thing that has gotten some mentioned recently the
Yankee signing is that he was really good defensively. A
lot of the guy of his type, the first baseman
who's one of the best hitters of the league.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
It often was kind of an oaf.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
A guy who was at first base in the old
school way because it's the place he could do the
least harm standing there, especially in the pre dh era,
that's where he'd hide, the big opus guy. But goldschmu
was jgit agile. He was bothering year right. Yeah, he's
a lot like Freddy Freeman in that way. I mean,
a pretty good comp in that way, just five years
(06:23):
older or whatever. He is. So he was a legit superstar.
But then again, so was Josh Doneldson. So I'm I've
seen him as really one of the guys in the
conversation for best in the game for a long time.
The question is how much he has left? How much
do you think he has left?
Speaker 2 (06:40):
I think he's enough left.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I mean, on the one hand, at thirty seven, you
could be one bad day away from having nothing left
in the tank. On the other hand, I think he
was better last year than the rosstat line shows. There's
the fact that his expected statistics were better than and
is actual, And I'm intrigued by the fact that he
(07:02):
was better in the second half than the first. Normally
I feel like, well, I don't care whether you were
better in the second half than the first. Everybody who's
mediocre has some period when they're better than the other period.
But you know, there was a shift in Goldsmith last
year where he hit the ball as hard. He just
swung and missed more often, which can happen as he
get older the bat slows. I'm optimistically wondering if what
(07:25):
happened was that last year was when he finally took
a turn downward and he adjusted by the second half,
So could be the what you're seeing in the second half.
The improvement there when he was legit good in the
second half was him adjusting to Okay, I don't at
the bat speed I did, So this is the new me.
So I'm guardedly optimistic the second half was real. Yeah,
(07:46):
I me on a couple of things. Look, I think
you look at a stat line, it just looks like
an aging curve, right, it looks like a siam declined.
But even last year he was an above average hitter
by the expected statistics. He was an average defensive first baseman.
He wasn't super slow a good enough based runner. Like
I think, even if he just does what he did
last year, it's a massive improvement for the Yankees, who
(08:07):
had the worst first base in the league last year.
And I think that there's there's like a range of
what I expect, Like I wouldn't be shocked if he
returns to like eighty percent of his MVP form I
was just two years ago. I also wouldn't be shocked
if he's even worse than he was last year. Like
that range of possibilities is there, and the fact that
(08:27):
this guy is a borderline Hall of Famer, one of
the great best hitters of his generation. Is in good shape, right.
You mentioned he's not a two hundred and fifty pounds
first baseman at thirty seven. He's he still has a body,
has been basically never been injured. I think he give
him a little bit of rest. He's got big platoon splits,
so maybe you rest him against a tough, ridy put
(08:48):
Oswalda Cabrera in there, like treat him like a thirty
seven year old player. I think he could be really
valuable and then could be like the steal of the offseason,
or he could be Jay Bruce or Edwin Knarcion or
some of the other guy passed their pine players Yankees
have tried to get away with have not been very successful.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
At Yeah, I think so.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
But when you my least favorite narrative is well, Aronatto
is going to be the same as Josh Donaldson and
Paul goldschmant is the same as Anthony Rizzo, and yes,
we can all do dummy level pattern recognition of Gosh,
this guy resembles another guy, but that's actually not how
it works. You know, if I see a guy in
(09:29):
the street who looks like my grandpa, and I'll say, Grandpa,
it's you, and no, Grandpa died fifteen years ago, and
it would be kind of stupid for me to say
that because this guy resembles that guy.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
He's the same guy.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
And this guy probably isn't going to lose to me
at cars like Grandpa did. So that was a weird
analogy that got a little away from me. But I
guess what I'm saying is that gold Schmant's a little
different than either Donaldson or some of these other guys
who are past their prime. I also look at the
defensive numbers a little bit, and yes, he went from
gold Glover to just adequate last year. But if I
read the fangraf stuff right, and confession is that every
(10:03):
now and then Fangrafs has too many numbers, and I'll
struggle to make sure I know what I'm reading, but it.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Look like and this is predictable.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
Where he lost a step is that he's making many
fewer hard plays, but he's making the same extremely high
number of routine plays that he used to, if anything,
a little more so what it makes sense is that, yes,
he's lost the ability to dive around like a jungle
cat at age thirty seven. Okay, they're on the many
thirty seven year old jungle cats who can still move.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
That's why they don't last that long in the jungle.
But he's still really surehanded.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And when we say the Yankees need a good defensive
first baseman if they have a good defensive infield.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Otherwise we mean a second first.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Baseman who can pick up the scoop and who's reliable
in the stretch and stuff like that. So I think
he's still really good at what they need a good
defensive first basement for, even if he's gonna dive around
less well, because that's not what you're talking about. You
want a guy who can pick up the throws from
rangy guys like Boltbay or at second or maybe a
range your third baseman. One of the reasons why I
(11:03):
think Josh Donaldson flops so hard as the Yankee is
his attitude, which just terrible, right, And that was evident
from the moment he got there, and frankly should have
been evident before that. Paul Goldschman what's you read on
his makeup? I mean, I don't know a ton, but
he's always been regarded as a leader, a good dude.
And I also think that I think well of guys
(11:24):
who aren't fast and steal bases like Freddie Freeman, like him,
because that tells you something.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
It tells you they're a little smart in they're baseball
like you.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
They stotted that this catcher is a little balky on
his knee. You know, if you're a guy who's not
really fast and you steal eleven to eighteen bases a year,
that tells me it's not that you are faster some
days than others. It tells me that you normally would
be a guy who steals zero bases, but you're smart
and you pay attention and you work hard. Because if
(11:53):
you're not fast and you're kind of old, like Goldschmidt
or to an extent, Freeman, it means you're spotting when
the catcher looks a little bulky, or this team we're
up against a team with an older catcher who by
the eighth inning his legs are mush or this picture's
a little this reliever is a little long to the plate.
You know it tells me that he's smart. And also,
if you're not fast on your stealing bases, you're working
(12:14):
for it more than a guy who's actually a burner.
And if you're thirty seven in your stealing bases, you're
working for it. So you know, little tea leaves that
tell me this guy is a hard worker. This guy's smart.
Whereas Donaldson, apart from just being a general purpose jerk,
he also just seemed like he was totally inflexible. I mean, Donaldson,
I remember was on pace for is my son's favorite stat.
(12:36):
If he played all year, he was un paced, hit
under two hundred with sixty home runs. And that's because
here was I can tell. What he did is his
bat was too slow, so he would close his eyes
and start swinging before the ball left the picture's hand,
and every now and then it was a home run,
and usually it was a strikeout. So it told me
he was just a dump and well he would hit
a home run and then it would delay him being
released by like a week, right exactly exactly, And he's
(12:57):
not doing gould Schmid I suspected, which is that again
is an optimistic take. But if gold Schmith's stunk in
the first half by whit thing more and then he
stopped me then the second half and got better. I
think he embraced reality and adjusted to the new reality.
He's older with a slower swing. I think that's what
Donaldson never did, and so I'm optimistic about Goldschmid more so, yeah,
I agree. He Also it seems like he wants to
(13:17):
win a World Series. Goldschmid like another guy we're about
to talk about. He's got a long career with very
little playoff time. I think he made the Championship Series
once and got swept, And so I get the sense
that he and somebody else are they're thinking of this,
not just as like you know, they get to hang
around the game a little longer, but maybe they get
(13:38):
to go to the World Series and try to try
to not have that stain on their career. I mean,
I wouldn't be shocked if Goldman wants to stick around
long enough to maybe squeak past sixty wins and get
a shot at the Hall of Fame. I think that's
definitely a possibility. But I like a player that cares
that much about winning, where I never got the sense
that Josh Donaldson really wanted to go out with the
(13:59):
World Series, even though he had a similar kind of
lack of success on his resume, and again two years
ago he won the MVP, So like there's real ceiling
left there, Like this guy has the talent to kind
of come back and have a great season. I hope
they rest him. I hope they sit him against tough
righties because of his pretty big platoon splits, and I
(14:19):
think I hope they move their lineup around for lefties
and rightys. Their their lineup is it's it's got some
platoon imbalance, and Goltiman I think would be a great
guy to hit next to in front of judge or
around judge against a lefty, but against alrighty. I want
him down farther at least until he kind of proved
that he's back. If he's going to be back, don't
do lineup stuff once we know what the full lineup
(14:41):
is quickly. More thing about the signing though, and why
I think that people disappointed didn't get Christian Walker, maybe
missing the mark apart from the fact that maybe there's
some money limit. As much as we might bemoan that,
you know he is much cheaper than Walker. Not just
this coming year a little cheaper, but three years. But
also Walker would have cost him two more draft picks,
(15:03):
and that's going to get the qualifying golfer. So in
a sense, if I'd like DESI to pretend, let's pretend
we lived in a world where we didn't have to
have stupid discussions about qualifying offers, and you know, the
quasi salary cap and the luxury taxt and all the
bs that makes us feel like where accountants rather than
baseball fans. It's simply put, would you rather have Christian
(15:26):
Walker or would you rather have Paul Goldschmidt.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
If the cost of Paul.
Speaker 1 (15:31):
Goldsmith he's free, and the cost of Christian Walker is
two young prospects, I might go with gold Schmith. I agree.
I think I think Christian Walker he's He's the safe bet, right,
He's the guy who I think at least next year
will be good. Christian Walker had a bad second half,
is up there in age, is less talented than Paul
(15:53):
gold Schmith. I think there's good reason to think that
even the three year deal the Astros got is a
risky deal, and I think the nice thing about Goldsman
is a one year deal. If something goes wrong, like
he's gone and you can reallocate that money to Vlack,
Gerrero Junior to whatever, right like you have options there,
or if he's good, you bring him back. And Goldshman
(16:14):
has a couple of years, you know, goes out as
a Yankee. Let me ask you quickly though. Right after
Goldsmith signed, we got the double move. Cleveland traded Josh Naylor,
who's getting paid about the same amount as Goldmi, to
the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then Cleveland signed Carlos Santana for
about the same amount. Would you rather have either of
those guys since the money he's basically the same. The
(16:34):
trade for from Cleveland was not a lot. They didn't
get a lot in return for Naylor. They give him
a fairly legit prospect for him, I thought, I mean,
not a world beater, but a guy who's major league
ready and wasn't great last year. But you know, Naylor's
band defensively, and it's not clear he's that much better
a hitter. I mean, he's basically twenty percent above league
(16:55):
average Josh Naylor.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
I'm not convince the.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Gold Smith won't be that next year. I mean, you
have to guess that nailor will be better than gold
Schmidt next year as a hitter the game basically a
Will Warren level picker. But that's what's saying. Yeah, so
if you asked me, like again, I like to pretend
we're not accountants, have to worry about text UITs and stuff.
And if you ask me, would you.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Rather have.
Speaker 1 (17:17):
Paul gold Schmidt and you keep Will Warren or Josh
Naylor and you give up Will Warren.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
It's kind of the same character as as Christian Walker.
I'd rather have Goldman.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
I don't think he's so reliably worse or so much
worse that it would give up prospects for the slight,
potentially non difference. By the way, I didn't realize this
that they gave up a competitive balance Round D pick,
which not only is a pick but also comes with
six million dollars in international bonus money ten So that
was that was pretty valuable. So okay, since they Yeah,
so Walker Josh Naylor essentially cost two prospects. Walker cost
(17:51):
two worse prospects because their upcoming draftees who are further
away and who knows who they are in the lower rounds.
But either way, both of them cost two prospects just
Nailer a little more than what a which is kind
of weird in a way. Yeah, I might go with
gold Schmid. What about Carl Santana. I mean, he's like fifty, so,
you know, I feel like it's great that he was
good in defense, but last year was the first year
(18:13):
he was above average in a while. It's the opposite
of gold Schmidt, who was like average last year. But
that's his trough and he could be better again next year.
I think there's a limit on how much I'll believe
the old guy will get better.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
I believe it for Goldschmidt, worre than Santana.
Speaker 1 (18:27):
Yeah, I agree. All right, let's talk about I think
the most interesting rumor we have. The Yankees attempted to
offered to the Cardinals Nolan Aeronado for Marcus Stroman, and
the Cardinals turned it down. They said, no, we don't
want to do that. Let me tell you, you know,
I have a theory of this trade, but I actually
(18:49):
want to get my Colorado. Rocky Scout's opinion on Aeronado Right,
his stats look bad. His defense is still pretty great,
but his hitting is his way down. Do you think
he still has three years left in the tank. Yeah.
By the way, I have to tell you there are
a bunch of reasons I'm rooting for this trade, but
here is probably the least important but most passionate one
(19:11):
for me. I own a Nolan Aernaudo Yankees jersey. Really, yes,
because when the rumors were that the Rockies have to
trade him because they're on the outside, Aernado because the
Rockies had the worst gender manager in history, and he
got a feud with Aeronado, and then they made the
trade because Aeronauda went out literally to troll chrus Field.
I got a custom Yankees jersey. It's a Yankees jersey's
(19:33):
Aeronauto twenty eight on the back, and I wore to
a lot of Rockies games. And the funny thing is
the Yankees and Rockies jerseys looks similar enough that it
looked like an aeronaut jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
So I got these awesome double takes.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So I can't believe that my jersey might be possibly
coming true years later. That's pretty cool. And yeah, that trade,
the Aeronauto trade to Saint Louis, that's one of the
worst trades I've ever seen. Yes, the Rockies covered a
ton of his salary, he was still good. They didn't
need to do that, right. It was literally like the
stupid trade with the stupid guy in your fantasy league.
It's like, if you give me your good player, I
(20:06):
will give you four guys, and four guys could beat
up one guy, so that sounds great. You know, there's
the principle that whoever got the best guy in the
trade wins, and that's often true. It's not always true,
but it's certainly true if you go for like volume,
they got four guys, but not one of them was
like in the top one hundred list in baseball, So
it was literally I think I bet other general managers
(20:28):
were snickering at the winter meetings about how the lowd
you pull it off. I bet the Rockies got a
lot more calls for trades after that, just to see if, like,
when you spot that one guy's the sucker in your
fantasy league, everybody's trying to trade with him.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
But you know, yeah, that was ridiculous and horrible.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And the reason that they are now trade now is
interesting is that a lot of the money on his
contract is either deferred or it is it is being
covered by the Rockies, and so he's effectively owed three
year sixty million dollars. There's some deferred money. The Aberagal
value is actually high, a hair higher. Usually the Yankees
like the opposite a lower aav the Astros, the Cardinals
(21:06):
and Astros had a deal where I think it was
fifteen million dollars was covered by the Cardinals. So the
Cardinals said, Okay, it's now forty three year, forty five
million dollar deal for Nolan Ernado. Do you think that's
a good deal.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
That's a great deal.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
It's funny because when we talked about him as a
possibility in our prior podcast. I think it makes a difference,
silly as the sounds, whether he's really owed sixty four
or sixty because we're all in agreement. I think you
Domini that if the cost of Aeronauta gets down to
like fifteen million for three.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Years, we literally said that's a good deal.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
The question is how much of the twenty one in
change a year are they paid down. But if he's
twenty a year, and if the Cardinals were willing to
eat it, I think that I think this gets done.
This is starting to look like the Bellinger deal, where
it's makes too much sense. For both teams, and the
Yankees are willing to pay the amount being asked for
and they're just trying to haggle about this million, that million,
(22:04):
the last million. I think the Yankees would absolutely pay
that amount or really close to it.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Yeah, what do you think?
Speaker 1 (22:10):
So I basically agree, but I have a slightly different theory.
So the trade they turned down was Marcus Stroman, and
I think I think that they would have taken Marcus
Struman's salary, and then the Yankees would have taken all
of Aeronautus salary. So it's like a it was kind
of one way of preaching that. But the Cardinals have
no reason to get Marcus Struman, right. They already have
like three guys just like Marcus Struman on the roster,
(22:33):
Miles Nicholas, Stephen Mattz, Eric Fetti, like guys who will
eat innings. They'll be fine, they'll keep you in games.
But this is a rebuilding team. They don't need a
bunch of those guys, right. They want to give their
young pitchers a chance to play. And so there's lots
of teams that might be interested in Marcus Struman, probably
not at eighteen million dollars, but may be interested at
(22:53):
Marcus Strouman at ten million dollars or twelve million dollars.
Stroman has a vesting option, so that could be two years.
And so you can imagine the Yankees trading him to
some team for nothing for you know, and taking on
six million dollars and then another six million dollars if
his option bests or something like that. And that's that
(23:14):
is about fifteen that that that you can imagine that
basically being fifteen million dollars. Maybe the Yankees take an
extra couple of million more than the Astros would for
Nolan Aeronaudo. But then this fascinating league happens. So we
have this really interesting article with three bylines, which for
a baseball article is a lot of reporting. Mark Feinstein,
(23:34):
Brian Hok, John Denton. So Hok is the Yankees beat reporter,
Feinstein is the Yankees or New York area beat reporter.
I don't know who John Denton is, but a very
well reported article. This was saying gold Schmidt to the
Yankees and Aeronauda to the Yankees yesterday. So before gold
Schmid signs and when they say is first off, Goldschmith's
probably going to the Yankees, and second quote sources added
(23:59):
that the You're in first basement's potential presence in New
York could have a strong influence on former teammate No
One Aeronado waving is no trade clause to play for
the Yankees. So the two of them are clearly friends.
I think the two of them and maybe their agents
are talking. They knew when a day ago that Goldschmidt
(24:20):
was going to sign with the Yankees. They knew that
that was going to come, and someone in Aeronado Ernado's
cap camp decided to go to some reporters and say,
No One Ernado wants to be a Yankee. He has
not previously waved his no trade claws to the Yankees.
If you look at the teams he waves no trade
clause too. It's three Northeast teams and three California teams Padres, Dodgers, Angels, Mets,
(24:43):
Red Sox, Phillies. I believe none of those teams need
a third basement, like every except for the Angels. Every
one of those teams has third base covered unless you
like move ral field evers around or something like that.
The Astros didn't need a third basement, or rather didn't
need a third basement, wanted Nolan and Ernado have a
chance to win a World Series, and Aeronautus said, no,
(25:04):
I don't want to go to the Astros. The Yankees
are the only team left. Right, Aeronatto is signaling I
want to be a Yankee, and it's his no trade class,
so he can choose whether or not to wave it,
so he can say, or the Yankees can say, Cardinals,
if you want to get out from under his salary,
you have no other choice but to deal with us,
(25:25):
which means that they can get the Astros deal. They
can get a better deal than the Astros, and I
think that they basically have the Cardinals between a rock
and a hard place. Is saying I will only wave
my no trade class for the Yankees.
Speaker 3 (25:38):
Right.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
This is John over there?
Speaker 1 (25:42):
What's that?
Speaker 2 (25:43):
This is John Carlos Stanton will over again?
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Right? Yeah, because Stanton had a trade to the Cardinals.
Actually I think it was, and I got to wish
that had happened, but but no, I'm not waving my
no trade class to go to the Cardinals. I think
uh and John Crayons ended up taking some of John
Carlos Ston's contract even back you know, right coming off
with the MVP. And so I think the Yankees might
(26:07):
get a deal on on Aeronado, like I think. I
think they're the only buyer in town. And for Saint
Louis has no reason to hold onto Aeronata. They're not
gonna like save him for what right? Erna says, I
want out of town. They're saying we're rebuilding. They don't
have a shot danel central that you're even with him.
He's not that good. He's not putting butts in the
seats in the stands. I don't think. I think this
is like I think not only do I think this
(26:30):
is going to happen. I think the Yankees just have
to find a take over Stroman to clear some money
off the payroll. And then I think they basically get
to like name their price on Aeronauta. And and as
long as it's enough money that the Cardinals are motivated
to get rid of him, I think is a Yankee
And and and they're you said that they're just haggling
over a couple of million dollars and the Yankees just
(26:51):
kind of playing hard to get the Docs not gonna
take much of a prospect. It's gonna be a Cody
Potitu level kind of thing. Maybe Adam Warren Will Warren
is heading towards Saint Louis or something, and I think
I think Erinado is like definitely a Yankee, unless it
was gold Smith or Aeronauta, right, it could that could
be the case. But I really do think that this
(27:11):
this leak is a strategic statement by Nolan Aeronaudo saying
you have to trade me to the Yankees. My buddy
call Paul Goldchmit's there. I want to be a Yankee.
He's always said he wants to live in the Northeast.
I want to win a World Series. The Yankees have
as good a chance as anyone at this point. I
I to me like, I'm kind of like like writing
(27:32):
him into third base in my head. Now, Yeah, I
think you're right about rocking a hard place. It makes
too much sense. It sounds very much like Couldy Bellinger,
which it made all the sense in the world send
them when there were articles saying, well, they're five million apart,
and it seems like that's insurmountable.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
I think there was a strategic leak to.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
Basically threaten implosively to walk away and they're just haggling
over the surplus between them.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
I gotta say this idea that Nado, I can't.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
Think it face value of the reports that Aeronato had
a list of six teams he wants to go to,
but now that his friend is going there, he'll go there.
This is like I'll go to summer camp if Timmy goes,
because Timmy's my BFF, bestie friend forever, Right, it sounds
like that. I don't think it's really that, by the way,
I think this is not really probably the case. Who knows,
but I think it'd be amazing if they signed Ernado
(28:21):
and it turns out that Aeronado and Goldschmid had a
torrid love affair and that's why he really wants to
follow his boyfriend here. I think that's probably not the case.
I don't have any intel of that from Colorado, but boy,
that'd be the most outstanding story to learn years later.
I always thought about a lot of egos in that clubhouse.
Both both Ernado and Goldsmith joined, you know, they already
(28:43):
existing seven stars. Yeah, and then but here's the other possibility.
I think it's possible that Aeronauto or his agent is
actually a business genius because, as you noted, Aeronauto had
a list of six teams and then the debating whether
this is a realist or not in the media. But
it was a weird list because it's teams that are
competitors for playoffs World Series next year. But Virgitie, none
(29:04):
of them actually need a third baseman. It's a this
of Southern Californian teams and competitive teams that have or
don't need a third basement. Like them me a third
basement at all, right, I mean, like all of them
need other positions. But like that, you have Max Munsey
in Los Angeles, you have Manny Machada going nowhere. In
San Diego, you have Raphael dever is not wanting to
(29:26):
move off a first third base. In Boston, you have
the Mets with I think Jeff McNeil is playing third
base right now, like there's there is no Alex Bowman
in Philly, like right, none of those guys are worse
than Melan aern Nolan Ernado is the worst player playing
third base in any of those places. And everybody in
the world knows that the Yankees need a third basement, right,
(29:47):
So he's the thing is that Aeronauta wants to move
because Aeronaudo is hyper competitive, wants to win. His whole
falling out with the Rockies was the Rockies there was
one year when they had a window, they a lot
of em talent, They won like eighty eight games. The
Dodgers win eighty eight game and the Rockies didn't go
for it at the trade deadline, and Aeronauto was furious
about this. He was right, you know, he was basically
(30:09):
saying what all the fans were thinking, and they could
have taken the Dodgers, but they did like nothing of
value the trade deadline, and that was the year they
could have taken the Dodgers and they lost the division
by one game. And there's a team.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
That's never won the division.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
So this we need to falling out and he was
critical of that, and the general manager got into a
public feud with him about this, which is idiotic. The
general manager, you know, he didn't just even if Aeronaut's
being pissy, Jeff brid it's the general manager says said,
you know, I appreciate that Nola wants to win. That's
what we all love about him. And we're doing the best.
He's doing his best. And we all got to just
you know, we're on the same team here. I'm on
(30:43):
the same page as Nolan, and I want to be
frustrated we're not winning.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yet go team Instead, He's like, well, Nolan needs to
respect that I'm the general manager, right, And there's a
reason that Jeff Brider Jeff are being canned by the
Rockies has never worked again in baseball.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
And shouldn't so. Aeronaut is competitive. He wants to win.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
But if he wants to win and he wants to
be traded, he can't quite just give like one or
two teams he wants to go to.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
So maybe he gave this the six teams to.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Look like he's trying to be reasonable, but he named
six teams that don't make any sense. So I think
he might have been doing this so that he has
to be consulted on trades.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
And I think he'd love to go to the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
He wants he likes the attention, he likes the bright lights,
big city. He wished he had more of it in Colorado.
I think it's a great mass potentially. I mean, turning
down Houston is such a tell to me, right, because
if you just care about winning like other than the
Yankees in the AL Houston. Is it like it's an
easy decision to say, you know, I want to go
to Houston, you know, and you know, you know, Texas
(31:42):
is a nice, nice place. You know. He's like, I
just don't. I don't because he they traded Kyle Tucker
and they're letting the premise of getting him is letting
Alex Breddan go.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
I think Aaron I.
Speaker 1 (31:54):
Was getting flashbacks to the Rockies, the team not trying
to win by keeping good talent and getting good talent. Yeah,
if I were him, I think Houston looks like a
bunch of tools that's half ass trying. Yeah, well, I
think I think when the Christian Walker signing, I think
I think he's just pretty good. Like I think, I
think they're they're basically as good as they were last
year and they were probably the second best team in
(32:15):
the AL. But that's for another podcast, all right, So
let me you read on a loan Aernauto Clubhouse, chemistry,
makeup wise, Is he a good dude? Yeah, I mean
I think that there's evidence that it could be kind
of a dick. I think I mentioned a prayer podcast,
but I love this one. It was that there's a
throw he made the first base and it went in
the dirt and the guy was safe. And then then
(32:36):
the meeting of the mound, just the standard okay man
on first and second. All the infielders went to the
mound except Aeronauto. Aeronauta was standing around third base kicking
the dirt and yelling at the dirt. And it's not
clear whether he was yelling at himself for being a
throw in the dirt or yelling.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
At the first baseman. They were both kind of plausible.
Speaker 1 (32:53):
Even if he's just yelling at himself, it looked to
the crowd like he might have been yelling about the
first baseman.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
So there's a guy who's head of the juices.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Can maybe make him kind of a dick at times,
and his public comments were addictised toward the general manager.
But you know what, but I think everybody in Colorado
God that it comes from a good place.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
This guy wants to win so hard.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
And he's going to all be annoyed with the management
at Colorado if we were stuck there. Yeah, exactly, So,
I think that this guy who wants to be so
badly in his defense, here's the thing, he was not
a hyper talented top hundred prospect. He was an okay prospect.
I think it's just force of effort and personality. I mean,
the way he's a great defender is he will dive
and land on.
Speaker 2 (33:30):
His face if he has to do to get a ball.
Speaker 1 (33:32):
Like he's just one of those guys, and everybody respected
the heck out of that. I mean, he wasn't a
great third baseman one of the best ever because he's
the most agurb guy.
Speaker 2 (33:41):
Like the ones asked him, could you play shortstop?
Speaker 1 (33:42):
He's like, no, man, I don't to get the chops
for that, Like I just don't have the range for that.
And it's true, like a lot of the best third
basemen you'd think they could play shortstop. He knows he couldn't.
I think this is a triumph of just effort and
determination over raw talent. I mean, he has a good
amount of raw talent, but not as much as the
guy he was.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
So I think this guy tries super hard.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
He can rub people the wrong maybe baby, but hey man,
maybe the Yankees need more of that. He's a guy
who's a top ten MVP of Ward winner five years
in a row. I think at one point in Colorado
and basically went nowhere. I like that he wants to win, right,
Like he's a guy who's who's he has what eight
career playoff games? Like he doesn't want to retire, like
that he's a he's a competitor. I am. I I
(34:24):
was lukewarm on Aeronado until I've realized one how little
money he's actually owed so that you could get him
for a reasonable price. And then when I realized he
actually wanted to be Yankee and to me, like, you know,
I respect that and I'm up for it. So yeah,
I'm going to predict to get him. I think I
think that that trades in the works. I think they
(34:45):
have dump Stroman first, and that's the way you make
the money work. I mean, you could dump Strowman an
effectively free up fifteen million dollars or Strowman and Trent
Grisham and for Stroman and the three million they just
save by trading Trevino, because I believe I believe that
they are that they are basically at three hundred. Okay,
so me another bit. But again, you and I talked
(35:06):
about this, and I again, I'm not blessed with the
great accounting knowledge, and I, you know, I would just
have to give up being a baseball fan if I
had to read the CBA cover to cover to follow
what's happening in baseball. But am I right that there's
no penalty for being this third luxury tax threshold like
an extra prospect penalty. It's just money, right, So if
(35:27):
they're two million dollars over, they pay a higher percentage
rate on that last two million. That's really the whole thing.
I can't imagine. Here's the other reason I think you're
right that aeronaut is going to happen. If you look
at who else is there as a third basement or
second basement, it is bleak band. You're down to. I
looked at it. You're down to Jose Iglesias or Donovan Solano,
(35:48):
who's older than Paul Goldschmidt. I mean, you're really down
to the dregs of the Frieggan market, Paul DeJong.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
There's kind of nobody the young.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Asa Cabrera platoon. Yeah, but clearly I think I think
they've decided that here's the thing you and I are
a similar mind, which is that it's not fair that
they're so down on Paraza enough to not even give
him a shot, but they are. That's the way it is.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Let's accept the reality.
Speaker 1 (36:15):
I think the correctly spotted that Cabrera is a super
utility guy, not in everyday player.
Speaker 2 (36:20):
If we go off what they've shown they think of
these guys before.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
They really don't believe in any of these guys as
a starting third baseman. I think I think the platoon
makes it Paraza. I wouldn't be shocked to see them
bring him out of the roster for opening Day and
have him play against lefties. He actually has really strong
numbers against left He's had a really good good second half. Like,
I think something work there, and he's still pretty young
(36:45):
and still really talented. Cabrera, Like, I just don't think
he's that talented, right Like, I think he's one of
those guys who, through like moxie and hard work, manages
to like somehow have a major league career. But he's
just like not that like, but he's the routy of
the Yankees. Yeah exactly, and that's fine. Is like your
twenty six guy, backup first baseman, backup third basement there, right,
Like he could still hit righty's pretty well. He had
(37:06):
like a seven something with ps against Rity's last year.
That's great. I just to me, I think I think
that that that's not plant. Like the Yankees are clearly
trying to build a complete roster. This is they're one
player away from having a full nine hitters, all of
which you think are at least average, yes, and maybe
(37:28):
much better. Right, one of them are in Judge. But
also you have you know, you have three or four
guys in that list that if you told me there
were four to five win players, I would not at
all be shocked. And I mean some of them. In
Jazz was a four win player last year, and I
just I'm excited for that because the Yankees haven't completed
a roster in a long time. If the Yankees say,
(37:52):
if we hear Brian Cashman say we're done, like we're
not for labor reasons, I can't. You can't actually say
we're not anenom guys. But they could signal like we're done,
we're going to go with a Jerry Ragged option in
the infield. I'd be fine with that because, like they're
still spending three undy million dollars and they I think
they're already better than they were at the end of
last year just because they got just audition by subtraction mostly.
(38:16):
But I think you don't trade Caleb Durban if you
don't expect to fill all nine spots because he was
your next best guy to play second base or something.
If you think they're going to do something right. If
you're running tryouts, you wouldn't give up one of the
two leading people for the tryout. It's basically what you're saying.
And also I agree with you in that I would
(38:38):
be disappointed if they don't get Aeronauto or some goofy
trade where they trade Stroman for a guy who's good
but overpaid. I mean, that's the sort of thing Cash
might get away with it. But if they don't get
someone who's basically above average, like Aeronato or something like that,
I'd be disappointed. Because I'll tell you what I think that, yes,
you lose Sodo, you know, recovered from losing Soto, accept
(39:00):
the lineup typically had Soto and three guys who were
not major league hitters, sometimes Dugos, sometimes DJ, sometimes Rizzo
or Rice. So if you average out Wam, Sodo and
three stiffs, I think those four spots might be better.
If you're asking is a lineup better with Sodo and
three stiffs or with like Bellinger, Aroonato, Goldschmidt. You know,
(39:25):
I think that last year, right, like they had They
were negative one and a half wins at first base
last year, right, So if those guys, I think the Yankees,
the Yankees don't need to do that much to have
a massive improvement. And then you're basically comparing like Sodo
to Max Freed or something, right, like your your Soto
(39:45):
is still the eight win player, but it's not that
hard to make up three or four wins on last
year's roster without doing very much. And they've done it, right,
because if you had a Sodo Verdugo the War of
Soto Verdugoe and then they had first base, you know,
and some of us I think if they get Ronado,
it pushes the bench to be actually guys who are
(40:06):
all average major leaguers are better, because I kind of
hate Trent Chrishian, but look, he has annoying skills that
are lame, but he's actually on the net probably close
to an average major league player, and the same for Cabrera,
you know, So if they get Ronado, then there're benches
guys who'd be second division starters. There's very little scenario
where they have a stiff in the lineup, So I
think that aaron On makes it. It furthers what you said,
(40:29):
like they're close to having a complete team. I think
with him, even the backups are good. I agree. All right,
let's uh, let me get a quick prediction from you.
So two things. One is an Ernado. If it's not Ernado,
is there another move you think they might might might
make and does that move happen before Christmas?
Speaker 2 (40:48):
Sh that's a good question.
Speaker 1 (40:51):
I think Aernaudo, I'll go so far as to say,
a really bet Aronauda happens before Christmas. This seems like
Bell and Jonet's the obvious move. They're just taggling about
a fairly small amount of millions. I mean, once they
had to deal with the Astros. We know that it's
the starting point or a deal they're willing to do.
So they're just trying to see if the Yankees are
pay more or the Yankees are trying to see if
they'll pay less, And they'll probably compromise on neither more
(41:13):
nor less, because I think there's not another option. I
think if this doesn't happen. I fear they're just gonna
go with a competition. The most annoying option would be
they pass up a competition til a youngster like pros
a chance and they sign jose Iglesius for some nonsense
like that. Yeah, I think it's I think I think
Aaron as Yankee like to me, it's like it seems
(41:36):
almost inevitable at this point, but I think it just
takes time to make these You gotta find someone to
take Stroman. You got to haggle that deal, right, You
got to figure out the money of that deal you have.
And lets unless how Steinbrunner is okay with them finding
someone later to take Stroman, But but I suspect that
Stroman's got to go first, so you know how much
money you save on that? And then I think you
(41:59):
got I think there's a you got to have building
time for, like a game of Chicken between the Cardinals
and the Yankees, where the Cardinals are like pretending they
can send him somewhere else, and he can and he's
not going anywhere else, and then eventually they land on
a price. I think it's gonna be three years, forty
five what the Yankees get get an out four, which
is exactly Hammer Candelario's deal deal. He's a little bit younger,
(42:19):
but he was basically a two and a half win
player when he was dealt or when he was a
free agent, and so I think it kind of makes sense.
And I was more talented than Cande Lario. Candelario's younger
three years forty five for a two and a half
wins third baseman, pretty good, And so I think that's
the deal. But I think that happens probably after the
New year. I think that could be. I think that
in about the money. One thing they could do is
(42:41):
you could see this the Cardinals like to I'm not
an expert on the Cardinals, but I was listening. The
roundtable does a lot with the Cardinals. Word of Katie,
who was really good at getting intel. You could see
the Cardinals screaming, trying to scream we're not giving up.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
Would be good in the future. So you could see
something like I'm just.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
Looking at the bottom of the Yankees top thirty prospect list,
something like we are you know, the Yankees take on
forty million, but also give him like a near bottom
of the top thirty with the guy who's almost ready
for the majors. Ever sin ple or something I think lower.
I think like some picture who's in double A, like
I don't know what Cam Shi writer Tristian Reeling. I'm
(43:23):
picking fun names. Savior Marty is an amazing name. But
you know, I think you Andrews go miss someone like that,
someone where they could say we're rebuilding or retooling. By
the way, there's one super fun option this, so I
would guess like they give him some prospect as face
saving the Cardinals. There's one fun option that's not gonna happen,
but it would be amazing, which is this. Steve Cohen
(43:43):
trades for aeronatam, takes on forty six million, beating up
the Yankees forty five, and then he turns around and
trades him too another team for thirty six million. And
what he says is, you know what, we're the big
dog in New York. I just didn't want the Yankees
to get better. So I'm eating ten million dollars to
deprive the Yankees. What's good though, I you know, I
(44:04):
think I think that if I'm a major league team,
I'm offering prospects to Cohen for money. Yeah, and in
fact that the Yankees would pay pay Steve Cohen to
take each of the mayhew off your books, right, who cares?
But would Steve Cohen become like a w A World
Wrestling Federation heel if he did that? If he just
like bought Aeronauta for a million bore the Yankees then
(44:25):
turned around for a loss and just that, Yeah, I
did it, so the Yankees didn't get him.
Speaker 2 (44:28):
We're the big dog in New York.
Speaker 1 (44:29):
I mean yes, but like I I think there's limits
to what you can do as an owner, Like there's
a there's a legislative body of twenty nine other owners
that that can do whatever they want to you. So yeah,
I'm I'm not sure that that that would happen, but
it would be fun if it gus to.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Be better, Like the New York media would love this.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
The Yankees Mets feud would get brutal, it would actually
draw attention to both teams.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
It would be kind of a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
So I'm hoping it happens, but it's obviously not gonna happen.
But I would love a return to the the Yankees
Mets feuds of the past. Those were fun. I remember
going to see Yankees Mets games as a kid, they
got a little violent and I enjoyed it. As a
hockey fan, going to Devil's Rangers games is always one
of my favorite pastimes. Scott, thank you so much for
(45:15):
coming on. Everybody, thank you for listening. This is probably
the last episode of the year and listening of the
stuff happens that we're talking about here. I don't think
we'll do an emergency podcast for a Stroman trade. We
definitely would for an Aaronado trade, but otherwise, I hope
everybody has a happy holidays. I'm taking the week after
Christmas off other than other than emergencies, and so we'll
be back in January. Thank you again for listening to
(45:36):
the podcast for this year, and I'm looking forward to
the new year. Scott, thank you for joining me. Everybody,
thank you for listening. This has been your Bronx Beat podcast.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
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 Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.