2239 - Who to pickup for the next two weeks - Fantasy Baseball from Prospect361.com

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ready rock, greeting societations, everyone at Rituel's and walk in

(00:24):
a Fantasy Baseball Live. Today is the fourteenth of September,
about four fifteen in the afternoon here, and I got
the Great Tema Cloud he is somewhere? Do they call
that to me? The great Great White North because you
got a terrible internet connection. But it doesn't matter. People
just want to hear you.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah, I'm I'm in North Bay, spending some time at
the lake with my brother, and I want to dedicate
today's show to an old high school friend of mine,
John and his lovely wife Manigue. We met for lunch
today and rekindled, as we do, periodicy and old friendship

(01:01):
and it was nice to get back together. It really
was all right.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
So what did the great Tim McCloud have for lunch?
That's what everybody wants to know.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Well, we ate with Jimmy today. Jimmy buffet. Buffet. It was.
It was a buffet, Okay, so you don't.

Speaker 1 (01:21):
Restaurant.

Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah, yeah. I had a wonderful cheese and bacon omelet,
some beef brisket, some pancakes lash round, some bacon. I ate.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
What didn't.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Anything that wasn't kneeled down at my name.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Today that risk it on Omelet pancakes.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Lord, I feel a nap in my future, my friend.
At some point in time, I think it could be
lights out for at least five to ten, Okay, but no,
it was.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
It was.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
It was a wonderful meal and wonderful company.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
And that's great. That's great.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, it is great. I haven't been getting home as
much as I'd liked you over the past three four years,
and this was a trip that I had to make.
We buried my uncle on Friday, and he was he
was my godfather, and it was just it's something that
had had to be done. He was the last of

(02:25):
the I'm not peers, but he was the last of
the group of ants and uncles above me, dude to pass,
and it was just important to get together with family
and say goodbye in the right way. And we did.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, that's it. That's great, Timmy, and we're happy. Before
you were happy that you're back. You brought up the
word godfather again. I'm just gonna let it go.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
We've covered that one extensively, my friend.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
It's been two weeks since Tim and I talked. I
remember had a long discussed about the Godfather. I don't
remember what it was, but I'm like, oh my god,
I don't want to talk about that again.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
No, no, we don't need to go there. How was Paris?
Thank you for the picture. I'm assuming I was at
your hotel room the hours.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
Not We just uh was right around the corner from us.
We had a more of a city of the view
of the city. It was. It was spectacular, Tim. I mean,
did you you went there when you were a kid?

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Right on that trip, I was, I was in London,
but we never made it to the mainland.

Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah. It was just it was just wonderful. People asked
what the best part of it and the sound, you know, ridiculous.
It was spending my spending time with my wife. I mean,
that was It was just great because I've been to
Paris a bunch of times and to see the beautiful
city through her eyes was really great. It was it's
really neat to see that and we ate too much

(03:47):
and sat in a lot of cafes and you know,
watched the watch the world go by and saw some
artwork and it's just there's museums galore there.

Speaker 2 (03:58):
Yeah, and you know what you're in here there Rich
pretty well sums up very eloquently why you've been together
forty years and why you'll be together hopefully for another
forty years. Congratulations.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Yeah, thank you, thank you appreciate that. So we had
a great time. We did have a little trauma though
on the on the trip, we got a call from
the pet hotel on Friday, so we left, We got
there on the We left Monday, got there on Tuesday,
so we were most halfway through our trip at least,
and it was beans was our little eleven pound your

(04:33):
keupot was demonstrating some problems. It looked like his stomach
was extended, so they felt like he needed to get
seen right away. Turned out he had a tumor on
his spleen. So twenty less than twenty four hours later,
twelve hours later, he actually had a spleen removed. And
my only question to the money, question to the vet

(04:54):
is like, dogs don't need a spleen, Like, because you
have any questions, I was like, well doesn't he need that?
He goes no, you know, because apparently.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
He just.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Exactly so, so uh, I guess now, because you know,
they don't have a really long life expectancy anyway, you know,
fifteen twenty years tops, you know, he'll be fine. So
then then we sat on you know, So that happened
on Saturday. He was fine. They took great care of him,
and then we got back and the biopsy came back

(05:31):
which was negative, so it was benign, so it was
not cancerous. So that was the great news. And he's
he's got the ConA. He's got the ConA shame one,
so he can't he can't look hisself. So it's hopefully
by the end of this week, the con of shame
will be off and he's been me He acts like
there's nothing wrong with him. It is remarkable. So but

(05:53):
I appreciate all you that way.

Speaker 2 (05:55):
Why why am Why am I wearing that plastic con
around my head? Looks sort of.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Yeah, exactly, we're at that stage. But so hopefully I
think we take a picture of an incision and send
it over. I think he gets it off and maybe
in three or four days, so that'll be good. One
PSA for everybody, and I mean this the deepest dog owners,
If you love your dogs, you need to get pet insurance.

(06:22):
Pet insurance is critical. We got it back in January
for both dogs. Because we have a niece who is
a event and she said, you really need to get
pet insurance because surgeries are expensive. Timmy thirteen thousand dollars
for the surgery all in, and so I live a second.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
I'm gigging out my night right now.

Speaker 1 (06:42):
So I mean, I fortunately got you know, eighty percent
twenty percent things, so we only have to pay twenty
percent of that. But can you imagine, I mean, it's
that Yeah, that was bad, right, I mean, thirteen thousand
dollars and then if it would have been chemotherapy or
anything like that would have been even more.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
So.

Speaker 1 (07:00):
Fortunately, you know it's going to be just a minor
hiccup with his wife probably going to the Arizona Fall League.
It got taken up by beans.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Well, yeah, and I was gonna say if I had
a dog was in that situation, Rich, we immediately go
into celery and wage discussions exactly exactly.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
But you know, you're talking to the doctor and he goes,
he goes. If you decide not to do it, then
it's hospice because he's going he's not going to make
it more than a few few weeks. His his spleen
will explode and he will die and it's like okay,
well all right, and then there was no question we
were going to get it done anyway. But I'm like
we hung up the phone and after, you know, we

(07:42):
looked at each other. It's like, where he goes, Thank
god we got the top bed insurance. I'm like yeah,
and it was like, it is it is paid up, isn't.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
It so as everybody screeched and checking mills and everything else, Yeah, ok,
it is, it is.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
But we had a great time. Beans is fine. So
life is all good and Tim, so tell us what
what have you been doing from a baseball standpoint. I
looked at Labor and tout Wars are struggling there, I know,
but I know you're doing well in other leagues. Tell
us how you're doing.

Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, it's Labor. I got up into second and then
my pitching, Hey, I had some injuries I dealt with.
I managed to get up as high as second, and
then my pitching just totally collapsed with the injury to
Josh Hater And yeah, yeah, yeah, tow Wars injuries all year.
You know. When I look at Labor, I'm very happy

(08:39):
with the results. My first two picks were Mookie Betts,
and Jackson Merrill. Okay, and the combined total of the
two of them does not equal one first round pick,
not one good one. But the XFL, I'm sitting in
third and I should finish in third and rotal Masters.
I'm looking at a victory with and White. The two

(09:00):
of us are leading. We're in a good position right
now and probably a third in UH in d L
one two, three, four, five, five. So it's been a
good year, a lot of my Hey, when you start
looking this year, I was drafting at the back of

(09:21):
the first round, and the back of the first round
had Mookie Bets, it had your Danne Alvarez. There were
a lot of options in the back end that looked
very good in March, but by May they weren't looking
quite so good. And I'm happy with the results. You know,
some some years are better than others. But overall, I've

(09:43):
got no complaints done whatsoever.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, my only redraft league was my NF Sea League,
and i think I'm gonna finish eighth in that seventh
eighth and I've actually got I got Vodnik goings, I've
got some saves my friends zone.

Speaker 2 (09:56):
So that was yeah, So that good value.

Speaker 1 (10:00):
That worked out okay, but my pitching just fell apart.
And you know, when I lost Chris Sale, that was
pretty much any chance to crawl back into into contention.
But I had a bunch of Kurt's going Nick Kurtz,
I had Chandler Simpson, so I nailed some of the
you know, thirty five plus round picks on that. So

(10:21):
I felt really good about that, But it just I
didn't the pitching. Just I was going for a while
not being able to field at a full team. So
everybody got hurt.

Speaker 2 (10:30):
Well, and you know what, if you picked the right
pitchers out of the mid tier rounds this year, you
did very well. But again there were a lot of
injuries and a lot of problems that had to be
dealt with. And it'll be interesting to see as I
started assembling my rankings for next year how things look

(10:51):
from a starting pitching perspective. But I do know one thing,
They're not going to look anything like they did last year.
There's going to be there's gonna be a lot of change,
and uh it's that's gonna be a full that's gonna
be a full time job. My friend, assembling that in
a manner that I think offers the best opportunities for
victory in twenty six.

Speaker 1 (11:13):
Yeah, it is fascinating because we had a lot of
Tommy John surgeries coming into this year. And now like
you got the Biebers and Uri Perezz who have Uri
Prez has looked good and then he's looked awful. Bieber's
looked really good. So the pitching might be a little
bit more plentiful going into next season because you've got
a lot of these top pitchers coming back from Tommy John.

Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yeah, and then you get into bullpens and it's gonna
be oh yeah, it's going to be a mess. You know.
We saw in twenty twenty four, we saw a year
was relatively stable from a relief pitching perspective, and then
came this year and with a combination of the injuries
add to it the just a change because of bad performance,

(11:59):
and then at the Tree Dead all these closers got
moved into seven rules. So it's yeah, the relief pitching
world of relief pitchers is I think after one year
of stability, heading back into grab a dart, grab a
dart board, and there's going to be a lot of

(12:21):
toss and darts. I think as we approach the mid
tier and ladder tier in the closing position. So it's
going to be another year where I think it's going
to be a handful in.

Speaker 1 (12:32):
Two thoughts on that, And the first is, you know,
I did give up on David Bedner and he got
dropped a bunch of leagues, and I picked them up.
I just I thought the stuff was too good. I
knew the pirates loved him, and he got the job
and he got back and then I held my breath
when he got traded to the Yankees, and that's turned
out to be a godsend. I mean, I'm so glad

(12:52):
I didn't drop I'm glad I picked them up when
other people dropped them. So that was one thing that
worked out. And the second thing, and I give it
all to you because I had no I did who
this guy was. But Jose Ferrera has been a godsend.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yes, yeah, he really, he really has what he yeah
to now eight nine saves. And the thing that I
like all of them, all of.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
Them since the trade deadline. That's what's amazing.

Speaker 2 (13:18):
Well you look at you look at Washington, okay, and
you look at that Steve Washington is not going to
go out at this stage, I don't believe and pay
a gazillion dollars for Ryan Helsley, okay as a free agent.
So the odds of Frere holding that position into next year,
at least a start of next year, are fairly good.

(13:39):
So you're reaping what he's done in the second half,
but looking forward to twenty six, you could be very
happy with the results you know, from him next year.
So that's a bonus situation for us playing the game.

Speaker 1 (13:55):
Oh yeah, I mean so that's why I'm thanking you,
because you know, it's funny because that was the time
when people were putting bids on everybody and I said,
I mean, I don't know who this Jose Ferrara is.
I said, Tim better be right. So I put on
in the four or five leagues and I got him
and every one of them. And I had no idea
what to expect because he had pitched very little, and

(14:17):
it's just been a godsence And thank you very much
for that. I will say that this a little odd
podcast because we're not having our traditional who to pick up.
Tim hopefully will give that to us at the end here,
but I've asked our Patreon members that give us a
bunch of questions and I'm going to be sprinking those
in as we go through it. The first one is

(14:38):
from our buddy Tim Webber, and I think it goes
to what are we doing over the last two weeks
of the season. His question is what are you doing
with these last couple of fat period? Super ferry your
team for next year? Timmy, So people in keeper leagues
and dynasty leagues, not what you're doing, you know, for
the next two weeks, because everybody knows you're just scrambling

(14:59):
as fast as you can. And if Trey Turner goes down,
you got to pick up a backup. You gotta look
at two start pitchers and Trey you savage. Tim is
going to talk about him at the end of the show.
He's getting caught up. So everybody knows what to do.
But what are you doing in dynasty leagues and keeper
leagues and preparation for next season?

Speaker 2 (15:18):
Well, what I'm the one thing that I've been focusing
on over the past couple of weeks and I'm continuing
to focus on, is in dynasty leagues is looking at
that looking at the closer position. Okay, when you look
at the bats, most of the Bats out there their roster. Okay,
you're going all the way down to De Paulo. Okay,

(15:38):
for the Dodgers, You're not going to find those guys
for the most part. But what you can do is
you can try and do some speculating on closers. And
the one guy that I picked up in virtually every
dynasty league that I'm in is Tony Santaloon of the Reds.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
All the Reds my got. She's still out there. I've
been writing about him for ten years, literally ten years.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Well, you know, he's now up to I believe seven
or eight saves he was, He's top three in holds
in the league. And Amelia Pigon is Amelia Pigon. Okay,
he has never finished, started or finished a full year
in the closer role. And it looks like right now
he is in a platoon situation with Tony Sandion and

(16:30):
next year he's a free agent. Now are the Reds
gonna invest in a big closer or are they going
to promote somebody that they've already allowed into situations where
he's converted seven or eight saves this year. He's a
guy that is a huge target of mine over the
last couple of weeks, and I would recommend you give
him a look in a keeper dynasty format because somebody's

(16:50):
gonna save games in Cincinnati and they like promoting from
within for the most part, I don't see them spending
the money on Amelia pig On. So hey, there's a
player that I would be targeting, and I'd be looking
at Ferrera if he's not rostered. Look at all of
the teams and look at who's nick.

Speaker 1 (17:07):
Who's a Votnick two, Lomnick two. Yep, he's been a guy.
He's he's been a consent for me too. I had him, yeah,
for most of the season, sitting on my minor league
roster because he was still minor league eligible. And he's
gotten the saves. Here at the end of the season.
Oh look, I know the Colorado Rocky is already good,
but I've gotten five or six saves from the guy.

Speaker 2 (17:27):
Well, you get twenty saves out of him next year
at the cost of five dollars or ten dollars worth
of worth of fab Yeah, you're in a good situation.
The other thing I'd like to like to very quickly
mention is it's the end of the year. Okay, we
we've been on Tony's santi on in Dal five I
think a couple of weeks back. Okay, and we just

(17:47):
threw five six bucks out there. Somebody else threw four
bucks out there. Okay. There's all sorts of teams that
have got one hundred and fifty, two hundred and five
and whatever fab they've got. Don't be nickel diving and
then nickel and diming on fab at this time of
the year. You don't get a rebate. You're not getting
that money back. Okay. If you think a guy has
a good chance of providing value for your team next year,

(18:12):
don't Nickel and Diamond been one hundred bucks on somebody.
What's the worst it's gonna happen? Absolutely nothing. So if
you if you're gonna lose a bid, lose it big.
Don't lose it by a buck that hurts, that leaves
a mark.

Speaker 1 (18:25):
Yeah, well, good advice. I mean, let's take a break,
come back, let's take a look at some of these
standings here, because we're getting down to the last two weeks.
Believe or not, we've got two weeks left of the season.

Speaker 2 (18:35):
You believe that, m Yeah, only because I look at
the calendar on my phone. It tells me we got
two weeks left.

Speaker 1 (18:43):
Yeah, let's take a quick break. Yeah, I got another question,
and then we're gonna look at the standings. This is
the question about oh Hoppy ask Yes, Yes, I find

(19:07):
my and I really appreciated this question because I think
he's flat out spottling on this. I find my interest
level go through natural ups and downs during the season,
but no matter what happens in season, I always seem
come to come back with renewed vigor preseason, when prospect
lists are published and drafts start again. Do you have

(19:28):
the same experience and have you ever had thoughts about
gas giving up fantasy baseball? What is your thought? And
then I'll share mine.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Ah, I'm sixty seven years old, rich going on sixty eight.
I've now been playing. This is my thirty six year
playing fantasy bass. Oh my word, yes, And at this
point in time in my life, I look forward and
relish putting together the prospect list that I put together

(19:58):
every year. I love it. Okay, it is still a
passion of mine and until it ceases to be that level.
You know that passion and I have that every spring? Yeah,
you Spring training is a week and a half away,
and you start smiling a little bit a little more
in the morning when you have your coffee. Until I

(20:19):
get to the stage where I don't feel that way. Yeah,
I love it and I'm looking forward again next year.

Speaker 1 (20:28):
You never have ups and downs during the season where
you just feel like, I'm done with this.

Speaker 2 (20:34):
Yay. I curse. I curse my team on a regular basis,
just like everybody else does. But in the big scheme
of things, it hasn't got to the stage where I'm done.
And you know what, when it gets to the stage
where I'm done, it will be I'm done, you know
what I mean. And I'm not anywhere near that level.

(20:57):
The pain hasn't afflicted me to the point where I've
considered that that approach. I love the game. I love
the people that I interact with on the Discord site.
You know it's I just love the game. And until
I ceased to every spring I look forward to. I
loved doing the rankings. And you know, it's been what

(21:20):
sixteen years now the two of us have carried on
with this podcast, and I love every minute of it.
We laugh, we enjoy the game, we have fun, we
share information with our listening audio. It's it's cool that
it really is.

Speaker 1 (21:35):
I will say. For me, the trade deadline took it
out of me, And not only took it out of
me because I was up for three straight nights writing
up trades, but it took it out of me trying
to figure out what the heck to do, particularly with
the closer situation. To me, that was a low point
this season. I mean, we were talking about Freer. I

(21:57):
got that one, but I got a ton of other
ones wrong. And it's like, and I spent money on
guys that didn't stick and I wound up dropping them.
And it's like I just blew two hundred of my
thousand dollars bid on somebody that I kept for a
week and didn't provide any value to me. So that
was really, really frustrating. I felt like this season and
that was probably the low point of my fantasy baseball

(22:21):
life right around the deadline.

Speaker 2 (22:26):
Okay, you know, and I can see that because so
much happened at the trade deadline. A lot of people benefited,
a lot of people hurt. There was a lot of change,
and yeah, you can go from a high to a
low to a high at that block of time. Very
very easily moving forward. I think one of the keys

(22:50):
is and I did it this year, I've done it
numerous times in the past. You got to speculate on
what you believe could partly happened, and fully realizing that, Hey,
if you're right on two or three out of ten, yeah,
that would be considered successful. But you know what, if

(23:10):
you can nail two or the three out of ten,
that's that's great, that's a bonus. The others that you
don't nail, well, hey, the team's the team's obviously made
a mistake that weren't listening to you, Rich, That's on them,
that's not on you, right.

Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, I mean I think I think for Tim and I,
I mean, we did this for a living. I mean
fantasy baseball and the baseball stuff in general. But for me,
fantasy baseball is still a game and something that I
play for fun. The baseball stuff is more my job
that I do. But to me, it's I think people
still need to consider it like fun. Right, So winning

(23:48):
and all that is great, but you know, like maybe
not making that priority number one. I think that has
a tendency to allow you to kind of keep the
momentum going and I think having at least one or
two dynasty leagues that you play in, to me, is
critical because then it gives you that opportunity all year long.
You're thinking all year long about your team, and it's

(24:11):
just more and more of an immersive experience for you
as a as a fantasy baseball player. That's that's what
I like about it. So you know, when we answer
Tim's question at the beginning of the broadcast, it was
like Tim and I, Tim mcleoud and I and everybody
else in our dying we've been thinking for in twenty
twenty six, twenty seven, and twenty eight all year long,

(24:33):
and I think that's not fun.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
Yeah, And you know what, even in my redraft leagues,
I'm still thinking the next year. This is how I
want to see what's going on. I'm going to pick
up some players and see how things shake down. And again,
I strive to play the game right through the year.
I know football season changes a lot of people's perspective,

(24:57):
and hey, if that's how you wish to play the game, good,
good for you. You're happy with it. Each to their own.
But for me at baseball is three hundred and sixty
five days of the year, yep.

Speaker 1 (25:10):
And hoppy in others. If you if you have days
that you just want to give it up, that's a
totally normal I mean I have you know, you look
down after the evening games. You look down, You've got
three earrays that are over one hundred from pictures. That's
that's frustrating. It's like, you know, you curse, you close
your computer, your phone, and you forget about it for

(25:30):
a few hours. So it's nothing you can do.

Speaker 2 (25:33):
No. I had Josh Hater in ten of my eleven leagues, okay,
or eleven of my ten leagues, and you see he
goes down, okay, and right away it's you know, you
go to each league and you look and it's damn, damn,
And yeah, it's not a good feeling, but hey, it happens.
You move on. You can do the best you can

(25:54):
and hopefully it all works out in the end.

Speaker 1 (25:58):
I think when you play as many leagues as you
and I do, you've got to have a portfolio approach.
You cannot overweight one one player because that just that
that means you're chasing every in every league, and that
becomes really really tough.

Speaker 2 (26:12):
Yeah, it was working fine until he got himself hurt.

Speaker 1 (26:16):
Yeah, but that's just you know, I mean, if you've
got hater in eleven out of ten leagues, that means
you're literally scrambling in every one of those leagues, and
that's what wears you down.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
Well, yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1 (26:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
Injuries and when you're playing multiple leagues injuries, Hey, it's
not good. Okay, Because as hard as you try to diversify,
there are players you like. Okay, I ranked the players
every year, there's players I like. If if it doesn't
work out, generally as a rule, I got problems. But
at the same point in time, over the years that

(26:50):
I've been playing the game, I have found that, and
I don't want this to sound egotistical prayer, I've hit
on a lot more than I've missed. And as a
result of that, you have to you sort of prepare
yourself for those moments when it doesn't work, realizing that
the next year it could very well and all is forgotten,

(27:13):
all is good.

Speaker 1 (27:14):
As much as I like to win, and I truly
believe this, I think Tim believes it as well. When
we give wrong advice, when I talk about a prospect
that's coming up, and it's like, I'm really excited and
he wets the bed. That's the thing that bums me out.
It's like, oh, where did I miss on this guy?
Like what happened?

Speaker 2 (27:34):
Yeah, for the for the longest period of time when
I first started writing, going back fifteen twenty years ago,
that was my biggest fear is being wrong and again,
because you don't want to provide advice to the.

Speaker 1 (27:47):
Last you don't want to leave people stress.

Speaker 2 (27:49):
Yeah, well exactly, So I used a lot of babies
and a lot of I sat on the fence a lot.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
You still knew, my friend, WHOA, that's only.

Speaker 2 (28:03):
Because I got extra padding. Now that I'm six years old,
I could myself. But no, it's it is tough because
you want to make that right decision. But knowing hey,
Hall of Fame BA Baseball player is one that hits
over three hundred okay, and I I think I'm still
over three hundred okay.

Speaker 1 (28:23):
So wow, Wow, Tim Tim stepping up, Big Tim stepping up?
Big Hey, Let's let's step up big. Let's take a
look at these standings, because you know, it's it's kind
of crazy what's going on here. All of a sudden,
the Seattle Mariners have have caught the Houston Astros there
went won eight games in a row, and also the

(28:44):
Texas Rangers Timmy with a seventy nine and seventy record,
are only two games out of the Wildcard. The Cleveland
Guardians are three games out and all sudden the Kansas
City Royals have have hit a tail spin. So can
the first of all, do they do the Mariners win
the Al West?

Speaker 2 (29:04):
I would hope so yes. I think they've got the
best I think they've got they got, They've got a
strong bulment. I think they've got the starting pitching. If
they deliver again, I think you look at it on paper,
they're in a good situation. And the offense, with the
moves made at the trade deadline, is is stronger. Okay,
then then it was prior to the dead They've they've

(29:27):
done everything they could. If it, if it, if it's
not in the cards, it doesn't work, I'll be surprised.

Speaker 1 (29:34):
It's a dangerous team going into the playoff. I will
say that nobody, nobody wants to play the Seattle Mariners.

Speaker 2 (29:41):
Well, no, because you've got some big bats and you've
got some arms that can you know, if everything comes together,
can go six, seven, eight innings. Of very very good baseball.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
So that leaves so that would be that the Blue Jays, Tigers,
and Mariners. According to Tim winning the American League divisions,
that leaves the Yankees, Red Sox and Astros is the
wild card. Do the Rangers or Cleveland Guardians get in?
Or do the Red Sox, Yankees, and Astros make it
into the playoffs?

Speaker 2 (30:13):
I'm going I Cleveland did absolutely nothing to set themselves
up for a playoff run, So I have a hard
time rooting for them simply based on that premise they took.
They moved Bieber, they could have held on to Bieber
had that extra arm again, if they get in, I'll
be I gotta be honest, I'll be a little disappointed

(30:36):
because they sort of backed their way in and did
nothing to really the.

Speaker 1 (30:43):
Lost Louis Martiz, Yeah, and to the guys that were
that were mainstays in the first half.

Speaker 2 (30:50):
Yeah, I you know, it's yeah. I can't find myself
rooting for a team that didn't do anything to prepare
themselves for what could potentially be a playoff spot.

Speaker 1 (31:01):
Right, Well, if I could take can I take a
contrarian view of that? No, I'm the Guardian's front of this,
I'm saying, McLeod, Well, we didn't have to make any
moves because we've been making the moves over the last
five years and now we've set ourselves up. We brought
up c J. Kafis, We made a move to bring

(31:24):
in Nolan Jones in the in the beginning of the season.
I know hasn't been great. Brandon Rochio is a great defender,
and when we lost our shorts off, we brought him
and it's worked out. And of course Gavin Williams has
had a big season, his breakout season. We brought up
Parker Messick. So we've we've been preparing over the last
five years, McLeod, and now we're reaping the rewards of

(31:46):
that and didn't need to go out and make a
bunch of trades.

Speaker 2 (31:49):
Okay, And when you finish one game short of a
playoff spot, are you going to wonder what happened to
mister Bieber? That would be my reply, right.

Speaker 1 (31:58):
Yeah, I think that's the other art game in on
top of that. So yeah, I mean, it's it is
amazing that team that they're getting it done with Jose
Ramirez and everybody else.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, that's it.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
Yeah, that's it. It's it's amazing. So let's go to
the National League here, and we've got the Brewers, Phillies,
and Dodgers, I think comfortably in first place. The the
Mets have just fallen fallen flat, one to nine over
their last ten and Nolan McClain pitched a great game

(32:31):
today and then all a sudden the Rangers scored two
to tie up two to two. I'm that's where it
is now. But you got the you got the Cubs, Padres,
and Mets in the wildcar position with the Giants. Tommy,
the Giants a half game out, the Red's a game
and a half out, and believe it or not, with
a below five hundred record, the Arizona Diamondbacks, you're only
two games out. How does it the wild card figure out?

Speaker 2 (32:53):
Yeah? Yeah? The Diamondbacks have no bullpen, do they? Can
you name me the setup guy in Arizona? Please? Can
you give me that?

Speaker 1 (33:04):
I cannot. I can. I can tell you the second
basement and high a into the Cleveland or Cleveland Guardians,
but I can't tell you to set up man in
the Arizona Diamondbacker.

Speaker 2 (33:13):
Yeah, and I think that's a problem in Arizona. They
have no bullpen. I. Hey, they've had a tough year.
They're preparing for next year, I think already, and I
think they're gonna be They're going to be a very
good club into twenty six. But I don't see it
this year. I you know, tell me something. What's happened

(33:33):
to Alie de la Cruz? Well?

Speaker 1 (33:36):
The last time that was That's one of the questions
we have, we have coming up later. Yeah, I don't know.
Let's let's talk about it now. What has happened to
Ali de la Cruz?

Speaker 2 (33:44):
Well, the last time he had a home run, I
had a full head of hair. Okay, it's been a while.
I don't know, and he hasn't. All the tools are there,
but we're not seeing them translated into home runs and
stolen bases. You know, he's ran a bit more in

(34:05):
the past week or so, but he's a fifty plus
stolen base type player who's not going to attain anywhere
close to that, is he? No, No, he's not. Let's see.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
Let's see what Eli dealer Cruz. Let's see if we
can break it down here. So overall, he has got
nineteen hour runs, a thirty five stolen bases. It looks great.
That looks great. I mean, that's that's close to our
first round value. But let's take a look what he
has done over the last the last month. He's last

(34:40):
month since September first, he said he won seventy eight
with no home runs. Since August August first, he's hitting
two eleven with no home runs and six stolen bases.
It's been awful, Tim, I'm assuming he's.

Speaker 2 (34:57):
Earned that's again, that's that's what I would have to
think as well. When you see a player is capable
of production at level A and he's somewhere around level
C that, no, there's got to be something going on
there either the team is it a geen thing and
they're not running. I have to look, Noelvi Martes running,

(35:18):
So why isn't why isn't he sprint?

Speaker 1 (35:21):
His sprint speed is still in the ninetieth percentile, So
that's it's not that his average exit of velossity sixty
seven percentile, bat speed eighty first percentile. I'm assuming he's hurt, yes,
but again, you got a guy that's now, that's you
got a guy that's twenty three years old. What you
would worry about is his contact skills and things like

(35:43):
that You're not worried about his speed yet, in his
his exit velocity, his power yet and that's just off,
and particularly his his exit velocity is down from eighty
eighth percentile to sixty seven. So I think that's probably
an injury that's lurking in there.

Speaker 2 (36:00):
Okay, yeah, more than you know. Who I do like
moving forward for the Reds is Juelovi Marte. Yeah, He's
going to be a huge target for me next year, pending,
of course where he fits into the big scheme of
things relative to his position. But I like, especially after
that first month of his return, I like what I've

(36:21):
seen this year. I'm impressed.

Speaker 1 (36:24):
So I have a number going back to the standards,
have a number of Mets fans, and if you know
a Mets fan, they're usually all in and it's usually
the glass is half empty. So they've all written off
the Mets. They're not going to make the playoffs. They suck.
So what you have to kind of I mean, they
really really struggled. Do they make it to me or

(36:45):
do the Giants get in or the Reds get in.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
I'm gonna I'm going to go with Logan Webb and
the Giants they're peaking at the right time. They're on
a roll. They're hot. The Mets are one and nine
in their past ten. Can they turn it around? You know?
Do they get Cody Sanga bet back up? You know?

Speaker 1 (37:10):
And I mean.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
Right now?

Speaker 1 (37:15):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (37:16):
So yeah, but I have to go with the hot
hand and go with the giants right now they're on
a roll or playing well. If they play five hundred, oh,
that's a pretty good that's a pretty good position. They'll
be income the end of September, won't it.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
Yeah. And the Mets did win today after blowing the
game for uh for Nolan McLain so, which was a
bummer because I could have used that win in several
leagues that I have them then, but they did wound
up scoring three in the bottom of the tenth. Then
he must have been a home run. See who hit
the home run too? To bring it home? Here, let's see, uh,

(37:56):
yep Alonzo with a thirty first thirty fourth home run
tenth ann off of Cavello. So yeah, he had a
three run home run, so huh.

Speaker 2 (38:05):
Well again, I think the Mets have the talent if
they can sort out their pitching in a hurry, and
I think they gotta get saying saying it back up.
You know, they gave Tong a shot, okay, and it
hasn't been pretty the last couple odings.

Speaker 1 (38:23):
Has it No so last outing this week and he'll
be in my notes for a Patreon members. I broke
it down. It was two thirds of an ending six
runs that'll make you want to give up fantasy baseball.
Going back to Hoppies question, I mean, that's that's that
that'll leave a mark. But Sprout's been really good and
Nolan mcclean's been great. But look, Tong has he had

(38:46):
a run of a really good control, but it's he's
not a complete picture yet. He doesn't have a breaking
pitch and he doesn't always start strikes because he's got
a really tough delivery that's hard to repeat. I think
he's going to be find long term, but if you've
got him in a fantasy league, I think it's really
tough to start in the last two weeks.

Speaker 2 (39:07):
I think it is too And you know, looking at
the last two outings, yeah, yeah, he's doing some damage
and you don't need that damage at this time of
the year.

Speaker 1 (39:18):
No, definitely, I.

Speaker 2 (39:19):
Think I think the I would be shocked if we
didn't see Senga take his next turn in the rotation
or something along, you know what I mean. Getting Sanga
back up I think for the last two weeks is
going to be important. But hey, look at that offense.
They can score some runs.

Speaker 1 (39:36):
Yeah, yeah, they can. I've also been really impressed with
Brandon Sprout. He came up, He's had two really good starts,
and the data looks really good on that guy. So
the Mets have got a lot of young pitching talent
coming up. And can they squeeze it out this year?
I don't know. So where did you wind up here?

(39:57):
Do they they hold off the the Reds and the
Giants or you've got the Giants making it in.

Speaker 2 (40:03):
I got the Giants on that late charge. They're playing
good baseball and we're down to two weeks. Basically, Hey,
if they can, if they can go one game over
five hundred for two weeks in a row, that's gonna
put a lot of pressure on the Mets. And that's
starting pitching, and I just don't know if it's gonna
hold up for those last two weeks. Again, I think

(40:23):
they gotta get Singa back up there. But hey, at
this time of the year. When you're down to two weeks,
how do you not go with the hot hand. Granted,
the hot hand can turn cool just as quick as
it turned hot. But they're on a roll right now.
So yeah, I gotta go with them.

Speaker 1 (40:39):
And before we take a quick break, you got to
give it up for Wan Soto, who had a thirty
thirty season on one Soto. I mean I did well.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
I had maybe sixty zero, but not thirty three.

Speaker 1 (40:53):
I mean was probably thirty thirty ten thirty three. I
don't know. I have thirty home runs.

Speaker 2 (41:00):
It wasn't in a forty home run, I mean forty
home runs stole, but one of them. I think he's
close to the number forty.

Speaker 1 (41:06):
I think he just got his thirty stolen base. So
I don't know. Okay, I don't think it's. Yeah, it
must be home runs that you're thinking about. So let
me let me you don't have your super fast computer
with you.

Speaker 2 (41:17):
I'm assuming well, I'm sitting out on a deck right
now on a nice sunny day, working off a rotor
that is hooked into a dialog system. I'm not looking
any windows. I'll be gone like the wind.

Speaker 1 (41:31):
Wow. So let's see one Soto has forty home runs
and thirty two stolen bases.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
Yeah, yeah, that shouldn't that be MPP discussion material.

Speaker 1 (41:46):
I mean he's got a three ninety eight base percentage,
I mean one hundred and thirteen runs, only ninety seven RBIs.
But that's been more because the guys around him are
pretty good. So except so the five twenty ninth slug,
I mean, he's been great.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
Yeah. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, Mets fans
have no reason to complain about one. So yep, none soever.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
For sure to me, take a break, get back, and
we got a lot of other stuff to discuss. Everybody
stick come back with us. Let's go back to a
couple of more listener questions. Collins asked two questions, all

(42:38):
about the Dodgers. Here, should the Dodgers let Otani just
come in as a relief pitcher in the playoffs and
be shut and be a shutdown back in bullpen arm
that's what you've always said.

Speaker 2 (42:50):
Yeah, I got Tanner Scott okay, and one of my
keeper leagues. I can protect him next year at six dollars.
I wouldn't protect him right now at sixty, okay, I
I guaranteed. Yeah, A Moto is not sending him a
Christmas card. Okay, the Dodgers' bullpen is a bit of
a mess. Why wouldn't Why wouldn't the Dodgers take Otwni

(43:12):
okay and use him out of the out of the
eighth ninth inning, okay, to get people out? Okay. The
bitch mix is such and and he's hitting triple digits.
You know, if you can't get your bullpen to work,
Otwani would get that done, wouldn't he.

Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yeah, for sure. And I think I think it's the
right move.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yep, yeah, yeah. Blake training hasn't hasn't stepped up. Tanner
Scott has been absolutely brutal. So yeah, I think Bessie
is the last I looked. I think Bessie, it might
be hurting right now. Yeah, Hey, you gotta have somebody
in the eighth ninth inning they can shut him down.
And I think Otani, I think he can do it,

(43:59):
and I think he'd be up for it. I think
he'd revel in the opportunity to be the guy that
gets the last out in Game seven. Uh. He proved
it in the WBC, didn't he He did? True?

Speaker 1 (44:11):
True or false? The Dodgers win the World Series.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
True if Otani's working the ninth inning, false iphy isn't.

Speaker 1 (44:22):
I don't think they. I don't think they come out
of the National League. Okay, that's what I think.

Speaker 2 (44:29):
Well, you know right now, when you look at what
the Milwaukee Brewers are doing, there can be tough to beat.
They're playing good, smart baseball, they're not making mistakes. The
rotation is solid. Who had Quinn Priester for the season
he's having on their Bengal card not too many and
freddie beralta a great year. Yeah, it's gonna be tough
to beat the Brewers, but the Dodgers there's a lot

(44:52):
of talent on that too.

Speaker 1 (44:53):
So if I could put my Tim McCleod braghat on,
can I do that?

Speaker 2 (44:58):
You can most certainly do that.

Speaker 1 (45:00):
Go back to my post when the when the Brewers
required priest, I said, you know, I looked at the date.
I said, there could be sneaky value here everyone, and
I didn't expect him to do what he's done. But
I still like the guy. So it's I'm not shocked
that he's had the success he sat. I'm a little
surprised at the tremendous success he've had. Does that make

(45:21):
something some level of sense?

Speaker 2 (45:23):
Yeah, it makes it. It makes total sense. Yeah, you
believe there was upside and potential there, but not to
what we've seen this year. And hey, kudos to him,
kudos to the Brewers. That's that's that was a huge acquisition,
absolutely huge.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
Agreed. Uh, let's see Collins also as Roki Sasaki was
the consensus top pick. This is a great question, by
the way, this one coming up first year player drafts.
Roki was consistent top pick last season. Of course I
took him. The next two picks a year ago were
Condon and Bassano. How's that working out? Not great so far?

(45:58):
With so many top picks performing in the top round
last year, how did a lot of us miss this?
Just bad luck or what thinking of k Kurtz, Burns,
cam Caags, et cetera. So so the top what he's
saying are the top three guys, everybody grabbed them, and
it's been the guys who went four through fifteen that

(46:20):
have done really, really well. What you're thinking, I've got
some opinions after you give your views.

Speaker 2 (46:26):
Well, how many people passed on Mike Trote in fantasy drafts?
Going back in a number of years ago. He went
what twenty third, twenty fourth.

Speaker 1 (46:37):
Yeah, something like that.

Speaker 2 (46:38):
Yep, Yeah, Mike Piatza was drafted somewhere around twelve hundred
I think when he was drafted a Hall of Fame catcher.
You know what, we sit there and we put together
and we analyze, okay, all of the data, and hey,
major League Baseball does the same obviously the same thing,
and they look and they make their picks based on

(47:00):
what they believe is best. But all one has to
do is go back over the past twenty years and
look at the first round of major league drafts, and
I would be shocked if much more than, if anything
more than twenty five to thirty percent of those players
actually pan out the way they were drafted at that time.

(47:22):
It's it's a risky procedure. A lot happens, there are injuries,
you name it. It's not an easy task making that decision.
And hey, there was a reason that rookie was a
consensus top pick. You look at his numbers out of Japan,
the upside potential, the age at Yadida, but that doesn't
guarantantee him a long, lengthy, successful major league career.

Speaker 1 (47:47):
I think it's way too early to start drawing conclusions
about the twenty twenty four draft season. And look, rookie
Sasaki if to be held today, that draft obviously would
and take him number when he'd take Nick Kurtz, maybe,
Conda Griffin maybe kind of Griffin won Nick Kurtz two

(48:08):
the rookies, Zaki would be top five guy. I mean
he got hurt. Guys get hurt. He throws one hundred
miles an hour and he's twenty four years old. They
get hurt, and I think he's gonna have Tommy John surgery.
Just everybody book, But that's what we said, our good buddy,
going back to Tim Webers warned everybody and we shared
his thoughts with everybody that rookie Sasaki had some already

(48:29):
had some elbow issues that were probably gonna manifest themselves
into some issues. And it's turned out to be that way.
But he still throws one hundred miles an hour with
a nasty splittery and that you can't buy that. That's
that's very, very difficult to do. Travis Bizana I told
everybody he was a fifteen to fifteen guy that could hit.

(48:50):
He's a fifteen to fifteen guy who can't hit. So
I'm not sure why can't hit. But his first season
was pretty tough, you know, in the first full season
in the minor leagues. I think he's going to be fine, though,
Let's see where he is.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Well, you look what he what has he done in
the past couple of weeks. We're seeing the Bazanna that
we thought we would see back in April May. He
got hurt, he came back, he struggled a bit, but
right now he's doing exactly what we thought. And Bizanna
could be a fifteen to fifteen twenty twenty player a
year from now and all is forgotten.

Speaker 1 (49:22):
Right I think he'll be a fifteen to fifteen player
that's not going to be as great of a hitter
as at least I thought, and how he was in college,
you know, and look when the Guardians took him, it's
a Guardian kind of player. They like guys that could hit.
They thought he could hit. My guess is they still
think you can. He walks it on, so there's going
to be a ton of one base percentage there. But

(49:43):
he's just adjusting. And it's it's unfortunate that, you know,
not everybody comes out like Nick Kurtz did, hitting thirty
two whole runs or whatever. I mean, he's been amazing.
Not everybody does. But Bizanna's going to be the guy.
Is Chase Burns is great, He's going to be really
he's gonna get hurt. Connor Griffin went ninth in the

(50:04):
draft and probably went about like that in first year
player dress. He's been the surprise. I mean, he's he's
probably gonna turn out to be the best player in
this draft because he is already the number one prospect
in the game and we very easily could see him
next season. Speed, power, looks like he can hit. We
knew about the speed and power, we didn't think he
could hit. Guess what he can hit. And he looks

(50:27):
like the guy that's gonna gonna be like the you know,
you look back and go, wow, what a player. But
it's a steep, deep draft. I mean, JJ Weather Halt's
going to be really good. Kim Smith, the last I
looked is only eight eight, so got to be careful, right,
I mean, he made this, made the UH roster out
of spring training and he's been eight eight. That's it.

Speaker 2 (50:50):
But you look at if you look at Bizanna, okay,
and you say, just for the purposes of an easy
comp here, he's going to be Stevie Kwant. Okay, If
you can get five to ten years of Stevie Kwan
type production out of Travis Bozana, that makes a pretty
good ballplayer, doesn't it.

Speaker 1 (51:10):
You know, he's not gonna be Stephen Kuan, you think so,
unless unless he can cut down at a strikeout rate
a whole lot. I mean, there's been some some pretty
wild swings, so I don't know. I mean, his end
zone contact has been really bad. That's what's been really shocking.
It's just it seems like a swing got long. So

(51:31):
I'm not sure what's going on there. I think he's
going to be just fine. I would be surprised if
becomes Stephen Kuwan, but that's just me, okay, But I
mean it's strong. I mean, look, Carson Binge nineteenth is
going to be a top ten player out of this draft.
And sometimes it just works out. I think all of

(51:52):
these guys. Hagen Smith might be the exception. He was
a number five pick, left handed pitcher with the Whites.
He can't throw strikes. Maybe he's heard he can't throw strikes,
but Charlie Connon's gonna hit forty home runs, He's gonna
hit two thirty. That's what we're afraid of when he
was you know, if you go back and read my
drafted you that's what the fear was. Is who he

(52:13):
would be. Travis Zana fifteen to fifty guy can hit.
Nick's Nick Kurtz maybe thirty to forty home run guy
can hit. That's who he's become. So you know, Jack
kaglean O.

Speaker 2 (52:25):
Yeah, the different difference, different difference with Kurts and right
now Condon is Kurts is supporting all my power with
a bit of a batting average, like quite a bit
of a batting average. And do we project that moving forward?
That I am a little hesitant to do, not at
the level we've seen this year, But I don't have
any problems with Amberys. Is Nick Kurtz is gonna hit

(52:48):
thirty five forty home runs next year?

Speaker 1 (52:51):
Okay, fine, but it's probably gonna come with a two
sixty batting average or something like. That's probably more where
he is if we looked at it, expected batting average's
probably where it is. But so far, I mean, such
a good player, it's a good place, you know. And
it's funny because you know, sometimes where you take these
guys is not as important as reading the capsules that

(53:13):
tell you what their strengths and weaknesses are because besides
a couple of exceptions, Hagen Smith being one, uh it's
not a little bit, he's not he's not hit as
well as everybody else is pretty much doing what they
thought they we thought they were going to do. And
you just have to decide you're gonna wait longer, take

(53:33):
a Connor Griffin and a sever King and excuse me,
receiver King, or do you want the instant guy like
Cam Smith who might not be as good as some
of these other guys, but you take him early. It's
just up to you how you want to play it.

Speaker 2 (53:47):
Hey, you know went five years from now, we'll look
back and there will be one or two players, okay,
in the third, fourth, fifth round that are better than
any of the players we've mentioned, or have the potent
to be as good as, if not better than, some
of the players we've already mentioned.

Speaker 1 (54:04):
Yeah, I'll give you a couple not that far away,
but thirty first pick Ryan Waldschmidt. That guy can play.
It's with Arizona. I mean, he's going to be up
next season. Speed and power can really I mean, that's
a guy that's that's Tommy White with the with the
athletics from LSU. Nice little player. He's going to be
your starting third baseman there. Eventually. Luke Dickerson had a

(54:27):
really nice start to this season. I got Peyton Totley,
remember him to me, he was the fiftieth pick over
he's already shoved it.

Speaker 2 (54:34):
Yeah, he's yeah, he's already in the bigs producing. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (54:38):
Ryan Sloan picked to the fifty fifth pick middle of
the second round with the Seattle Mariners. He's one of
the best nineteen year old pitchers in the minor leagues.
I mean, so, as Tim was saying, there's some guys
that went later that have turned out to be really
really interesting picks as well.

Speaker 2 (54:54):
Yeah, it's it's fascinating when you look at those younger players.
The only thing that as you look at that group
as a whole, I think last year was a great group.
I outstanding group, probably quite possibly one of the best
we've seen in the past ten years.

Speaker 1 (55:11):
I think twenty twenty three was better, but that's just me.
Last year's group was different because there was so many
college hitters that came out, and you get what you
know what you know the person who asked the question,
I forgot his name already, have to go back and look.
It was Collins. Oh, Collins. Collins asked the questions. Yeah,

(55:31):
you get all these guys that are immediately coming up,
like this past season, the twenty twenty five draft, You're
gonna have to wait a walk because it was so
many eighteen year old high school kids. So you're not
going to know how they're going to all turn out
for three or four years. But you're getting instant gratification,
good or bad from the twenty twenty four draft.

Speaker 2 (55:53):
Yeah. And the way I played the game at sixty seven,
waiting five six years, Okay, it's not my preferred modus operende. Okay,
I'm strong on the college bats, college arms because I
want to see something within a couple of years. I
don't want to wait five years. And that's just the
way I play the game, Okay, and each other own

(56:14):
it'll work either way.

Speaker 1 (56:17):
Yeah, And it's it's funny you get you get freaks
like Connor Griffin, who just, I mean just made a
mockery of the minor leagues. I mean, he has no
business being in Double A, nor does Hazus Moday. And
they both look great. I mean, these guys are nineteen
years old and they look like Mike Trout.

Speaker 2 (56:35):
Walcott, Okay, Walcott played the full season in Double A
even know he wasn't elites. And how old is he nineteen?

Speaker 1 (56:42):
I think he just turned nineteen, So yeah, I mean
it's it's so yeah. So you get and then sometimes
you get a guy that you know you's a young
kid and takes them four or five years to come up,
and then they turn out to be really good. It's
just everybody develops on their own schedule, and you can't
be too high or too low. Want twelve months, fifteen

(57:05):
months after a draft, you just can't. You got it.
Rookie Sasaki is going to be fine. Is he going
to get hurt? Yes, But five years that guy's going
to be really good.

Speaker 2 (57:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (57:14):
I agree to me to take another break. It's take
our final break. It back and let's truck to wrap
this up because I've got to go to dinner.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
And I have to.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
When you get a note from my from my lovely
wife to says you want to meet me for an
early dinner at Roots. Roots is the steakhouse.

Speaker 2 (57:43):
The answer is yes, no hesitation, my friend, the new
hesitation there.

Speaker 1 (57:51):
I said, I'll be done the podcast in thirty minutes.
Let's let's see here. We'll get to some of these
other questions. On Friday. We'll talk about there is on
a fall league.

Speaker 2 (58:01):
I'll be back Friday to do that. Go through the
regular Friday and the regular Sunday. My traveling. I'm heading
home on Tuesday, so I will be back Friday, right nearly.

Speaker 1 (58:10):
One thing I do want to talk about before we
ask who you're picking up this weekend is Jason Dimingez
has lost playing time. Now Anthony Volpi has lost playing time.
Why do we think about going into next season with
both Dimingas and Volpi? Who are you more confident about
drafting Diminga's revolt? Because I've seen some posts and maybe

(58:31):
their fan posts that the Yankees might cut ties with Volpi,
they might try to trade him on the off season,
which seems crazy to me.

Speaker 2 (58:38):
Well, he's so young, Okay, now he's had he's had
problems with the deed this year, Okay, Yeah, and you know,
when you start looking, the Yankees were counting on Anthony
Goolby for a ten to fifteen year career. Okay, they
obviously believed in the whole player, the back. It's the speed,

(59:00):
the power, and the defense. This year hasn't worked out.
But to me, it seems relatively crazy to want to
cut ties with a player who's what twenty three years old,
who's in his what second third full season because this
year didn't work out. Now again it is brought to

(59:22):
the four. There are some issues, there are some things
that have to be worked on and dealt with. But
I would be shocked if the Yankees part company with
either one of these two kids, because there is so
much potential still sitting there. That's my thoughts.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
So who would you rather roster Volpi or Domingo's going
into next season if you had a draft right now, Wolpy,
I looked at the day of Volpey. It still looks
very very good to me. It still looks great to me. So, yeah, well,

(59:58):
can't Jason Amigos can't hit lefties? So I mean he's
a little guy at the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
Yeah, Well, you look at you look at the two
cases and you analyze them, and the fact that Domingus
can't hit lefties. That makes for me anyways, if I'm
looking at the two of them, that makes it a
fairly easy decision because it's Jason Deminga's ever going to
be able to hit lefties. I don't know, you know, it's.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Self fulfilling prophecy, isn't it. You can't hits play for
a good team you don't play against lefties, which is
exactly what's happening to Diminga's and then you get stuck
being a platoon player.

Speaker 2 (01:00:36):
Yeah, forever and ever and everyone. Stanton still has fourteen
years left on his contract or something like that, which
makes makes the Rice Stan It makes that whole thing
a bit of a mess. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:00:48):
I mean, I take a look at volpi again, twenty
four years old, average ex of velocity and stuff. I
mean it went up from last season from eighty seven
to eighty nine, so you see he's starting to get
his man strength together. His strikeout rate went up a
little bit. He needs to be a little bit better
at working walks, but I mean there's still a lot
of still a lot of core that's there, and maybe

(01:01:11):
maybe he needs to move off of defense. His range
is two percentile in fielding, his arm strength is thirty four.
Maybe needs to move to second base. Yeah, maybe that's
the answer.

Speaker 2 (01:01:20):
Yeah, maybe maybe that is the answer. I just can't
see the Yankees giving up on Anthony Volby at this stage.

Speaker 1 (01:01:28):
If they if they do, they're gonna get a ton
of return for them, because I mean, this is not
a guy that this is still a really really talented guy.
That's that's just my view. But Diminga's worries me more.
And I do have him in a couple of dinasty leagues.
I'm a little bit I think one dynasty league. I'm
a little bit what's going on there? So but but Volpi,
I would not be giving up one.

Speaker 2 (01:01:49):
No, No, I agree totally.

Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
All right, Timmy, anybody to pick up pitters or pitchers?

Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
Well, I think he's as Bellisteros is. Oh yeah, he's
performing very well for the Cubs right now. And hey,
the Cubs need everything they can must rate about now. Hey,
when you start looking at the Jay's Treya Savage. Okay,
they're calling him up. They're not calling him up to start.

(01:02:21):
He is a starting pitcher and he will be a
key component of that Jay's rotation moving forward. But they
want a guy that they can put in the eighth
ninth inning right now and throw the ball past people. Okay,
and he's qualified. He can do that, Candy, he can.

Speaker 1 (01:02:38):
Another guy, another guy who was drafted a year ago
in July. I mean, it's another kid that in a
first round draft picked last year that wasn't one of
the talked about guys already going to make his major
league debut.

Speaker 2 (01:02:51):
Yeah, he started the year, didn't he had Low w A.

Speaker 1 (01:02:54):
Yes, he did.

Speaker 2 (01:02:57):
From Low Way to the bigs in one season. That's
that's rather That's rather impressive, isn't it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
Yeah, he kept I wrote about him a ton again.
He come, uh a, what is that? Uh, Patreon memory.
I don't even know what I'm talking about, Patreon memory. Yeah,
he started off it's a seven games in Low Way,
four games in High A, eight games and Double A,
and now six starts, eight games, four starts in Triple A,

(01:03:25):
and he's up.

Speaker 2 (01:03:27):
Yep, and the Jays are hoping that he can help
take some of the pressure off at the back end
of that rotation. And if he can, it bodes well
for the jays chances over the last couple of weeks. Yeah,
it's simple as that.

Speaker 1 (01:03:38):
I would I would be grabbing Brandon Sprout. Okay, because
I again I I Tong has got a great arm.
I you know, but the last two outings, I mean
that the Mets are fighting for their lives. And I
don't think they're going to mess around with Oh, let's
give him another outing. We don't want to hurt his confidence.
It's not none of that. And it's going to be
your in or out.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Well, yeah, and I think they're gonna you know, hey,
if you take a look and see if Cody Sengo
was drafting it was dropped in re draft leagues because
he's down at triple A. I think he'll be back. Okay,
So again there's there's a veteran player that you can
take a look at. Hey, looking at closers for next year,
Jose Ferre, take a look, see see it, Tony Santalon

(01:04:22):
because sent you on and in Cincinnati, I'm very very
bullish on the kid. Take a look at teams that
have their current closer heading into free agency or it's
getting a little bit long in the tooth. Take take
a look at those situations and uh and keeper dynasty formats.

(01:04:44):
Toss a couple of darts. What's the worst it's gonna happen.
Comes spring training, you cut them loose, they go back
into the free agent pool. But you're increasing your odds
of success by tossing a few darts in the direction
of bullpens.

Speaker 1 (01:04:56):
In dynasty leagues, Yeah, if you're out of it in
a dinys, those are the kind of moves you should
be making. I mean, you know, if you've got fast left,
they might as well be speculating and times right. If
you get the spring training then they're no good, or
they they're not going to be the closer, or they're
back in the minor leagues. You can cut them well.

Speaker 2 (01:05:14):
And you know what, if you sit with them all
last year and they become average to above average type closers,
your team might not be ready to compete next year.
But we all know the last. As a rule, the
last position you fill in a league. In a dynasty
league is your closer position. Because of the volatility, you
can take a guy like that and move them at

(01:05:35):
your league's trade deadline next year to a team who
is three saves behind first place in the overall and
get yourself a real nice haul next summer that might
improve your chances for two years down the road. So no,
if you're if you're in the bottom half of the league,
rebuilding whatever, you got to go after guys like that

(01:05:56):
because they can be gold to you. They really can't.

Speaker 1 (01:05:58):
I'd move some before our trading deadlines. I moved some
of my more established closures, and there's leagues where I
was really struggling in and because I had the Ferreras
and some of these new guys that came up, I'm like, Okay,
I'll move that for some other pieces, but I'm not
going to move Ferira because I got for nothing and
I I'd rather build with that. If he doesn't work out,

(01:06:20):
it doesn't work out. But I felt much better about
moving older closers and keeping the younger guys.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
So well, yeah, there's a big difference between Jose Ferrara
not working out and Ryan Helsley, yeah not working out.

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Was going to trade you much for Ferrera and they're
going to trade you a ton for for Helsley?

Speaker 2 (01:06:41):
Yeah, And if if, yeah, if you could, if you
can move a guy like Ellesley at the deadline this year,
if you're not competing, whatever you get is your coldness.
As you'll look to twenty twenty six and twenty twenty seven.

Speaker 1 (01:06:55):
Tell me what you think is going to happen to
class Who Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Worried. Yeah, I've got them, I've got them in one,
and I have to declare my roster in this one
before I know, before a decision is going to be
reached and in all likelihood I'm going to be releasing them.

Speaker 1 (01:07:21):
Yeah, it just does.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
No.

Speaker 1 (01:07:28):
I mean, I appreciate Baseball taking their time to go
through it, but it's like it's almost like the more
time it takes, the worse you start to feel about
the situation.

Speaker 2 (01:07:39):
Well, yeah, it doesn't. It's not going to get any better,
is it. And the longer it takes, the more hey,
it just increases. Well, if it's taking major League Baseball
four months, five months to reach a decision, no, that
that doesn't lead to me feeling better about the situation.
I'd rather than make a decision in two weeks and
you know, and get it done. But I realized a

(01:08:01):
full investigation has to occur. Major League Baseball is not
quick at these decisions, like you said, and I disagreed
with It's the longer, the worse, it seems. Odds are
will come over with an outcome that we're looking for.

Speaker 1 (01:08:16):
And the amateurs loose that are out there who said that,
you know, they concluded that they were like the first
pitch was a ball or a strike, So that's what
they were apparently throwing, throwing the you know, that's what
class was accused of. And then they nailed it to
how many first first thrown balls were balls? I mean

(01:08:37):
and really like in the dirt kind of ball, not
even close, and it didn't really make a difference. And
I guess that's if that's what they find, you know,
that's that's gonna be tough. He's going to be gone
gone well.

Speaker 2 (01:08:51):
And what is it going to do to the rest
of the existing major league relief pitching component, you know, is, yeah,
guy has a bad game, he throws three consecutive balls.
Is he going to be under investigation?

Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Yep. And we've said it too many times that baseball
made their bed. Now they're going to lie in it.
And it's and all sports have that. I mean, it's
not just baseball, it's every everybody who's gotten in bed
with the gamblers. I mean, this is what you get,
you know, it's they're trying to find an edge and
the money is too big and you get some of
these marginal guys. Not to say that Class A is

(01:09:31):
a margin guy, but Lewis Ortiz is a marginal guy.
I mean they can make a lot of money that
they can, so to me, that is a wrap, my friend.
Have a great rest of your trip. We will see
everybody back. We'll be back with our regular show on Friday.
I go, I got a deadist appointment tomorrow, so the

(01:09:52):
fun contents for me.

Speaker 2 (01:09:53):
So yeah, yes, I hope. I hope you have a
benefit planning. If you don't use, yeah, you use use
your puppies.

Speaker 1 (01:10:04):
That is true. That is true. Okay, everybody have a
good week and push your fantasy teams here these last
two weeks. Good luck everybody, except if you're competing against me,
then I hope all your guys get hurt.

Speaker 2 (01:10:16):
So you saved me. Well, great catching up, rich and again,
as Richie mentioned, I'll reiterate good luck to everybody down
the stretch. I hope you see much success

Speaker 1 (01:10:29):
Right by now.

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2239 - Who to pickup for the next two weeks

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