November 6, 2024 • 20 mins
Matt Thomas and Ross Villarreal of "The Matt Thomas Show with Ross" react to the latest comments from MLB's general manager meetings in San Antonio, where Dana Brown addressed Alex Bregman's free agency. "The biggest priority is third base," Brown said. "We would love to have Alex Bregman back." Brown also discussed plans to upgrade at first base, bolstering the bullpen, adding another starter and more.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the general manager's meetings are happening. Not a lot
of things happen, but you do get conversations going.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Now, the main sign kind of free agent signings trades.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Happened generally at the winter meetings, which are a little
bit later, and they're actually I think before the end
of the calendar year. They stay winter meetings, but they're
really not in the winter. That makes sense. I don't
know what the exact schedule is, but the gms meet first.
I again, you talk about things. You can certainly pull
off some deals. But when the general manager speaks in
which Danner Brown did in Channel two, cameras were there
and we are a partner of Channel two, so I
(00:35):
to play some of their audio.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Dana Brown had a chance to.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Discuss the number one free agent that maybe the Astros
have a chance to keep more than a the other
free agents. Let's see, we'll see. Let's play the audio
again thanks to Channel two. Here is Dana Brown positive
talks with Scott Boris and the Bregman camp.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yeah, a lot of discussions with Scott multiple con. I
hope that uh, we're you know, we're open. Some good
things happen, feel really good.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Chance, So I think we it's kind of hard to
hear there. At the end, he says, I think we
have a really good chance. I think we have a
really good chance. Okay, ok at first blush yes, missus,
because I heard the audio yesterday, but we've not had
a chance to come out. Dana does not come across
to me as a I wouldn't say a liar, but
(01:34):
a fibber. Is his glass going to be half full? Perhaps,
but most general managers, most front office people in sports
have glass half fulls on everything. Like Nick Cassio, when
when when, when he discusses the next time he discusses anything,
we'll be asked about why didn't make any trades, and
he will give us a glass half full approach to why.
(01:55):
He feels like, yeah, so that's that's not a typical
for people in this position. Although Nick Casseio did say, remember, guys,
we won a lot of one score games last year.
He's gotta set up, do I believe? Okay, I am
encouraged that they are talking. I am encouraged that he
(02:21):
sounds encouraged. But however, however, ROSSI, because he has always
last half all on things, you have to kind of
sometimes separate the fact from the fiction, and there I
can speak to this on multiple occasions, what Dana will
say will not necessarily match what the player's agents have
(02:44):
said in other situations.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That Dana's assessment of Kyle Tucker's ailments throughout the course
of the year matched what Kyle Tucker's agent thought about
the situation about all the time he was gone, I
think there was conflicting thoughts about how everyone approached when
Kyle was gonna come back.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I'll give you another one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
He went on these airwaves and sports talk seven to
ninety when jose A Brady was sent to the Florida
Complex Hold hard, Yeah, and he talked about how this
was going to be a great move and help him
turn things around.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I mean, it's not that Dana Brown. It's not that
he sees the glasses half full. He sees the glasses
spilling over when it's half full. And to quote Chandler Rome,
he put it perfectly in his article. Brown is perpetually
overflowing with optimism. And that's just it makes it. It's
(03:45):
a good quality to have, I think. I mean, I
like that he's always positive about the astros and he
always thinks they're going to turn it around. Remember he
told her they were, you know, twelve and twenty four,
and he's like, we're gonna turn this thing around.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And he was right. He was right, He was right.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
But he's he loved Yoseka Kuchi and most people are like,
what are you doing? He was right? That's what I'm saying.
He should be given some benefit of the doubt on
some of this stuff. Not everything, but some. But he's
always no matter what you say, he could have this
situation come up one hundred times, and a hundred times
he's gonna say, yeah, I think we can get the
deal done.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, So it's hard.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
You have to take it with a little bit of
grain of salt because of that. That doesn't mean that
Bregman won't be back here. That doesn't mean that he
doesn't believe the talks are positive. But it also means
that's always the way that he's going to look at it,
see it for temper this then I think.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So, yes, all right, let's hear from more from Dana.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yes, so he does believe that Alex Bregman could stay
in Houston.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Here's what Dana Brown has to say about that.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
On my set right now is that he's not going elsewhere,
and that we want to sign up ourselves if he
ends up going elsewhere across that bridge when we get there.
But I'm going into this offseason with the thought process.
Then we're going to get pregnant down and hopefully if
you know what, we can do it. And as I said,
(05:03):
you know the conversations which Scott have.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Been Okay, that one gives me a little more optimism.
Can I give you an analogy, because that's what if
you're new to the show in this time, So I
do this quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Matt. You've been here for fifteen years. People know who
you are. I don't know. You never know these things.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
You and I are college coaches, okay, and we have
been recruiting this kid, okay, and we are selling them
hard on. We have great academics, we have great facilities,
hot ladies, hot ladies, we have nil money for you
and you and I as coaches are like, we're going
to get this kid, and we're like this is going
to be awesome. And the kids like, I like this place.
(05:43):
It's kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The kid's not going to tell you that he's being
talked to by three or four other schools to say, well,
you know he is you know, but it also means
that you don't have to believe it and say that
maybe what you're offering is better. I'm a little afraid
that Scott Borrows may be saying all the right things
to to to Dana knowing in the back very well
(06:08):
that maybe three or four other's teams are going to
jump in the very last second and try to scoop
him up. By the way, Uh, Scott Boris is going
to speak today at the General manager's meeting. Really is
he going to be wearing a Boris hat? Well, the
Channel Room just put on his Twitter account there is
a backdrop of the Boris Yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
He's been doing that for a while. That. By way,
do you like my analogy or no?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
It's okay, it's not your worst. Okay, I'll choose to
be data brown positive. I thank you, because I think
I think whatever any deal that he gets from anywhere else,
the Astros will have the right to refuse. I think
if he says, hey, the Mariners are going to give
me seven years, can you match that? And then the
Astros will have a decision to make and I mean
(06:56):
Dana Brown's optimism, and there's reasons to be optimistic. Suarez
is gone, the third base market is terrible. You you
have a championship window that's only going to be open
for a couple of more years. Signing Alex Bregman extends
that or helps prop up. I should say that championship window.
And he's a legend of your organization, all right, So
(07:20):
why don't you do right now is play those two
cuts again real quick without us commenting.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And it's just I think, just the second one. Whatever,
that's the first one's hard to hear.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Play the second one, and then we want the audience
to jump in and say, how do you feel after
hearing what Dana Brown just said?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I feel a lot better after this one.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Listen on my set right now is that he's not
going elsewhere, and that we want to sign up. So
if he ends up going elsewhere, we're across that bridge
when you get there. But I'm going into this offseason
with the thought process. Then we're gonna get pregnant down hopefully.
(07:57):
And as I said, you know, the conversations.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
With Scott have been I'm going into this offseason with
this mindset that we are going to get Bregman back.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
How do you feel, Houston? How do you feel? Last feelings?
How are we feeling?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven nine zero one
hour from now. Shut your bumbx up, Ema Adoka at
one o'clock. These are the airwaves what we call Sports
Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Coach Sark here, touchdown, Texas.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You've got Sports Talk seven ninety, Houston's home of Longhorn Football.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
The Matt Thomas Show continues.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Now, all right, we just heard Sark. We're gonna go
through the NCAA football first playoff seedings that were announced yesterday,
the biggest news of yesterday. And we'll do that in
about fifteen minutes from now. Yes, so I think you're happy.
Would you say, well, we'll find it fine whatever, it
(08:56):
doesn't matter. Yeah, all right, So Alex Bregman's agent will
be speaking today.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Dana Brown spoke yesterday. Ken I like Dana.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I I don't really know him that well. You know,
I had a very good relationship with Jeff Leno. I
had basically a zero relationship with James Click And that's fine.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
When everyone he went there very long and he was
Crane had zero relationship with him. That's probably reason why
he's not here. But uh, and Dana is you know,
maybe we'll break bread sometime. I don't know. I'm ready
because I I I do think he did a good job.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
He was brought here for the most important reason was
to replenish the farm system and make some deals. I
don't think he's intimately involved in the.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Serious, serious negotiations.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I think when Dana speaks, he spoke yesterday, he was
speaking as obviously a guy that was going to be
He's got Jim's check book, but he can't sign it,
and he can he can fill it out, signature to it.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, it's like when you were a kid and you
uh was his way back in the day, folks, and
it was something you needed for school and you guys
got to bring it to your mom and I.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
First sign it like a progress report.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, like a progress report or if it was I
don't know, like a check for something at school, right,
like you need to buy your gym clothes or something.
I have written one check in five years in the
last and I wrote it within the last couple of months.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
My old apartments used to take check for rent and
I used to do that, but that's it. But I
mean when I was younger, I really had to worry
about it. Like I was down like twenty five checks.
I'm like, I gotta I gotta holder these checks quick. Yeah,
and you figured outf you want to put a sports
logo on it, or your school logo or something in
the backdrop. But now I'm like, like, I think I
know where my check book is in the house, but
(10:37):
I'm not completely sure.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
To hear some fuddy.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
When I did my first checks when I was like
seventeen years old, I did Old English.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I did my name in Old English because I thought
that was cool. How stupid is that?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I was like, yeah, i'd be cool. I'm getting my
name in Old English on my checks. I mean, that
doesn't sound ridiculous. I will say this. The coolest thing
I thought as an eighteen year old was getting my
first credit card. That was much to my detriment. I
didn't realize I had to actually pay the bill and
those bills came for the Columbia House CDs. Yeah, when
you're when you're a freshman at college and get Sydney's, Hey,
(11:12):
get your first credit card nineteen percent interest.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I'm all right with that. I'll pay it off of
her mind some time. I'll be happy to do that,
all right.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
So we we've we've determined that Jim Crane has the
check book. He's given it to data, but he has
to sign it. Yes, yeah, it's his money, Okay. So
I'm gonna pay with the brush on this. My guess
is when the at the end of the day, the
most competitive offer the Astros will make will be one
that we will have much more validity to it than say,
(11:42):
Carls Koreas offer much more validity to what Garrett Cole's
offered me or man, I've been much more validity to
it than what George Springer's contract was.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
If Washington, we mentioned this yesterday, if the Nationals are
a team that's been long rumored this, Alex say, man,
I have two World Series rings. Absolutely, I have a
gold Glove. I was a part of excellent teams year
after year after year. I'm gonna go finish my last
the last half or the last third of my major
(12:14):
league career. I just get in a big ass check
and you know what I got news for your sports fans.
A lot of athletes do that, a lot of athletes
will chase the check, especially after they turn the age
of thirty. Two time All Star, two time World Series Champion,
gold Glover, runner up to MVP silver Slugger.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
What does he have left to chase? Winning is fun?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
For me?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
It would be just winning is fun. Absolutely, And who's
to say the Nationals can't win? That's true because he says,
I'll come here and make you relevantly. I think they
have some really good to get young up and coming.
I've not done a deep dive on the Nationals just yet.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I mean I could.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, don't don't quote me on that if I'm wrong,
But I think they do have some stuff in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Oh, I think no one's ever said they were a
horrific organization. They just had a really frankly since the
World Series run, they've been a terrible team.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I mean, what guarantees do you.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Let's say he stays here, You're still not better than
the Yankees, You're still not better than the Orioles. I
don't think closed and I don't And while I give
a very super slim chance that Alex days and I
mean I'm putting in at about one percent. I think
the thought of Kyle Tucker staying here is at zero percent.
I think I think we're still close to zero on Bregmann.
(13:33):
I got I got swept up in the optimism ten
minutes ago. Wait a minute, wait, you just were optimistic
at ten twenty six. How could you have changed your
mind at ten thir are going to be on the
tax again if they signed him, aren't they?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah? Because oh, by the way, we forgot to mention this.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, who's talking?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Who? Justin Verlander's agent and the Astros?
Speaker 1 (13:52):
God?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Is this a crane white belt deal? What is a
white belt deal?
Speaker 1 (13:56):
When two dudes have the white belts, they say they
want to hang out with each other as long as
they of them together. Or what happened when they play golf?
They played with white belts. It's the white belt club
that's better. In the white hood club. The white belt
club is undefeated.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
He signed away with New York the last time, but
it came back, drew a line in the sand there.
Well yeah, and then everybody got hurt, and well, Astros
needed starting pitching. He signed away once he can sign
away again? Suddenly, ask you this. Why are they talking
to Justin Verlander. You're exploring all your options. They should
(14:33):
be talking to you Sae Kakuchi's people. Oh by the way,
Scott Boris, Oh really okay, Well let's go. That's one meeting,
one less meeting, one less sandwich.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
You gotta buy.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
I wonder if if you can do if you sit
down and do both guys in one conversation. Or Boris
is so regimented, he's like, we're only here to talk
about bregnant or we're only here to talk about He
probably has a system. I'm sure he's got all the
big free agent, most successful agents in the history of agents. Yeah,
I'm pretty sure he's got it down.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
That maye bother me more than I mean. Look, I
love Justin Verlander. He's one of the greatest astro pictures
of all time. Yes, but it took him forever to
ramp up, and he never really got ramped up. No,
he was hurt on two different occasions. He's gonna get
he's gonna be even older. When he was out there,
(15:23):
he was bad. He's giving up home runs like crazy.
It's not getting swing and miss stuff's not there. Do
not sign do not sign Justin Verlander. Jim Crazy, Well,
is this if you're signing Justin Verlander. I don't even
know if he believes in a discount, but my guess
is that you would maybe get a Jim Crane semi
discount because he likes the astros.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
He owes Tommy John discounts. He owes, I was crappy
last year, discounts, he owes.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Well, it means that he doesn't want to go chase
Some veteran players, Hall of famers, don't want to bounce
around towards end of their career. Some are built differently
in the NBA. You see it all the time. Chris
has been with six teams. Chris Paul's going to the
Basketball Hall of Fame. Chris Paul don't care where he goes.
He just wants to collect the chain. Some guys are like,
you know what, I've been a met, I've been an astro,
(16:08):
I've been a Tiger. Do I do I want to
finish the last three years of my life going between Toronto,
UH and UH Washington and Arizona. You know, maybe some
maybe some guys like familiarity. I think Justin Verlander takes
the highest offer possible for that. He can get eye
no matter where it is. But maybe, and maybe this
conversation between Dana and Justin's agent was just here's the
(16:30):
courtesy year.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I was on your payroll last year. Where are we
at now?
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And maybe maybe Dana sets the market for where Justin
may go if he wants to pitch somewhere in twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I don't know, all right, So there you have it
on zapp.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yeah, I'm trying to buy into the optimism. I just
brought myself back to earth once I thought about how
it's going to be luxury tax again, and.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Then it's just this.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The twenty percent penalty the first year, thirty percent the
second year.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
And after once they get everybody through arbitration, they're going
to be basically already nice. And here's a little reality
that that nobody can well, I guess some people can control.
You don't have TV money coming in anymore because the
Space City are now. Space Network was owned by a
group of people. Now it's owned by the team, So
you don't have the automatic revenue coming in the likes
(17:22):
of what it was before.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You got a World Series pop from.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Attendance, and that waned you didn't draw as many regular
season that you did the previous couple of years. You
took a little dip on that, and then you had
the text threshold the issues now you do see you
don't even really lose that much on JV's contract, as
most of it was paid for by the Mets.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
The guys.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
You also got rid of the archides of the world
and the trade cabbages.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
They they're blips on the radar when it comes to
your salary.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
And oh, by the way, if you signed Bregman and
you figure out a way to sign if Verliner wants
to come back, and you know Vernlin ain't gonna be back,
I don't think I'm the cheap Where does that leave
you for even talking to Kyle Tucker? If you're already
over the threshold on a second time in two consecutive years.
You know, this is why baseball executives get the big money,
(18:17):
Because what Jim is saying is that you know what, Dana,
here's my checkbook, and here's my puzzle piece. You need
to configure it for us here, But I'm giving you
a I'm giving you a number that you cannot go
over on certain guys and if it isn't what it is,
we're gonna move on. Problem is, there's just nobody ready
to play third base right now. Zach Desenzo might be
a starting first baseman for this team, it sounds like
third base isn't really an option. Shaye Witcomb, Yeah, we've
(18:40):
been saying that. We've been saying the Zendo didn't profile
defensively third base. I don't know if Shae Whitcombe again,
I don't even want to use the small samples of
what he saw during the course of the year. Yes,
let's this is your race. Eliminate the four error game.
It never happened. I don't think anybody in the organization
thought Shay Woodcombe was the heir apparent. Fie No, just
(19:01):
a very nice solid Yeah, but you were going from
Bregman to Witcomb would be losing tremendous power, defense and
tremendous glove and leadership and leadership because Josel Tuova first greatest,
the leader he is doesn't say much. He leads by example.
Who's the next greatest leader on the Astros not named
(19:22):
jose Al Tuba? Jordan talked about taking up a leadership
role I don't know if that really materialized because I
don't know. I'm not in the clubhouse. Is a question
for more for a beat reporter or something, but uh,
maybe Jordon, maybe Verlander. I mean that he's going to
be gone. Bregman, I think was probably the big dog
in terms of that type of leadership of the squad.
(19:44):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven nine zero. The
college football playoffs were anounced yesterday, at least the first
round of them. Will run through the list. See what
you're thinking. If you're a Texas A and M fan
right now, you're on the outside looking in. We'll discuss
that next seven one three two one two five seven
ninety
So the general manager's meetings are happening. Not a lot
of things happen, but you do get conversations going.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Now, the main sign kind of free agent signings trades.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Happened generally at the winter meetings, which are a little
bit later, and they're actually I think before the end
of the calendar year. They stay winter meetings, but they're
really not in the winter. That makes sense. I don't
know what the exact schedule is, but the gms meet first.
I again, you talk about things. You can certainly pull
off some deals. But when the general manager speaks in
which Danner Brown did in Channel two, cameras were there
and we are a partner of Channel two, so I
(00:35):
to play some of their audio.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Dana Brown had a chance to.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Discuss the number one free agent that maybe the Astros
have a chance to keep more than a the other
free agents. Let's see, we'll see. Let's play the audio
again thanks to Channel two. Here is Dana Brown positive
talks with Scott Boris and the Bregman camp.
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Yeah, a lot of discussions with Scott multiple con. I
hope that uh, we're you know, we're open. Some good
things happen, feel really good.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
Chance, So I think we it's kind of hard to
hear there. At the end, he says, I think we
have a really good chance. I think we have a
really good chance. Okay, ok at first blush yes, missus,
because I heard the audio yesterday, but we've not had
a chance to come out. Dana does not come across
to me as a I wouldn't say a liar, but
(01:34):
a fibber. Is his glass going to be half full? Perhaps,
but most general managers, most front office people in sports
have glass half fulls on everything. Like Nick Cassio, when
when when, when he discusses the next time he discusses anything,
we'll be asked about why didn't make any trades, and
he will give us a glass half full approach to why.
(01:55):
He feels like, yeah, so that's that's not a typical
for people in this position. Although Nick Casseio did say, remember, guys,
we won a lot of one score games last year.
He's gotta set up, do I believe? Okay, I am
encouraged that they are talking. I am encouraged that he
(02:21):
sounds encouraged. But however, however, ROSSI, because he has always
last half all on things, you have to kind of
sometimes separate the fact from the fiction, and there I
can speak to this on multiple occasions, what Dana will
say will not necessarily match what the player's agents have
(02:44):
said in other situations.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
I don't think.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
That Dana's assessment of Kyle Tucker's ailments throughout the course
of the year matched what Kyle Tucker's agent thought about
the situation about all the time he was gone, I
think there was conflicting thoughts about how everyone approached when
Kyle was gonna come back.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
I'll give you another one.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
He went on these airwaves and sports talk seven to
ninety when jose A Brady was sent to the Florida
Complex Hold hard, Yeah, and he talked about how this
was going to be a great move and help him
turn things around.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
I mean, it's not that Dana Brown. It's not that
he sees the glasses half full. He sees the glasses
spilling over when it's half full. And to quote Chandler Rome,
he put it perfectly in his article. Brown is perpetually
overflowing with optimism. And that's just it makes it. It's
(03:45):
a good quality to have, I think. I mean, I
like that he's always positive about the astros and he
always thinks they're going to turn it around. Remember he
told her they were, you know, twelve and twenty four,
and he's like, we're gonna turn this thing around.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
And he was right. He was right, He was right.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
But he's he loved Yoseka Kuchi and most people are like,
what are you doing? He was right? That's what I'm saying.
He should be given some benefit of the doubt on
some of this stuff. Not everything, but some. But he's
always no matter what you say, he could have this
situation come up one hundred times, and a hundred times
he's gonna say, yeah, I think we can get the
deal done.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Yeah, So it's hard.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
You have to take it with a little bit of
grain of salt because of that. That doesn't mean that
Bregman won't be back here. That doesn't mean that he
doesn't believe the talks are positive. But it also means
that's always the way that he's going to look at it,
see it for temper this then I think.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
So, yes, all right, let's hear from more from Dana.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Yes, so he does believe that Alex Bregman could stay
in Houston.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Here's what Dana Brown has to say about that.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
On my set right now is that he's not going elsewhere,
and that we want to sign up ourselves if he
ends up going elsewhere across that bridge when we get there.
But I'm going into this offseason with the thought process.
Then we're going to get pregnant down and hopefully if
you know what, we can do it. And as I said,
(05:03):
you know the conversations which Scott have.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Been Okay, that one gives me a little more optimism.
Can I give you an analogy, because that's what if
you're new to the show in this time, So I
do this quite a bit.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Matt. You've been here for fifteen years. People know who
you are. I don't know. You never know these things.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
You and I are college coaches, okay, and we have
been recruiting this kid, okay, and we are selling them
hard on. We have great academics, we have great facilities,
hot ladies, hot ladies, we have nil money for you
and you and I as coaches are like, we're going
to get this kid, and we're like this is going
to be awesome. And the kids like, I like this place.
(05:43):
It's kind of cool.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The kid's not going to tell you that he's being
talked to by three or four other schools to say, well,
you know he is you know, but it also means
that you don't have to believe it and say that
maybe what you're offering is better. I'm a little afraid
that Scott Borrows may be saying all the right things
to to to Dana knowing in the back very well
(06:08):
that maybe three or four other's teams are going to
jump in the very last second and try to scoop
him up. By the way, Uh, Scott Boris is going
to speak today at the General manager's meeting. Really is
he going to be wearing a Boris hat? Well, the
Channel Room just put on his Twitter account there is
a backdrop of the Boris Yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
He's been doing that for a while. That. By way,
do you like my analogy or no?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
It's okay, it's not your worst. Okay, I'll choose to
be data brown positive. I thank you, because I think
I think whatever any deal that he gets from anywhere else,
the Astros will have the right to refuse. I think
if he says, hey, the Mariners are going to give
me seven years, can you match that? And then the
Astros will have a decision to make and I mean
(06:56):
Dana Brown's optimism, and there's reasons to be optimistic. Suarez
is gone, the third base market is terrible. You you
have a championship window that's only going to be open
for a couple of more years. Signing Alex Bregman extends
that or helps prop up. I should say that championship window.
And he's a legend of your organization, all right, So
(07:20):
why don't you do right now is play those two
cuts again real quick without us commenting.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
And it's just I think, just the second one. Whatever,
that's the first one's hard to hear.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Play the second one, and then we want the audience
to jump in and say, how do you feel after
hearing what Dana Brown just said?
Speaker 2 (07:34):
I feel a lot better after this one.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Listen on my set right now is that he's not
going elsewhere, and that we want to sign up. So
if he ends up going elsewhere, we're across that bridge
when you get there. But I'm going into this offseason
with the thought process. Then we're gonna get pregnant down hopefully.
(07:57):
And as I said, you know, the conversations.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
With Scott have been I'm going into this offseason with
this mindset that we are going to get Bregman back.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
How do you feel, Houston? How do you feel? Last feelings?
How are we feeling?
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven nine zero one
hour from now. Shut your bumbx up, Ema Adoka at
one o'clock. These are the airwaves what we call Sports
Talk seven ninety.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Coach Sark here, touchdown, Texas.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
You've got Sports Talk seven ninety, Houston's home of Longhorn Football.
Speaker 3 (08:33):
The Matt Thomas Show continues.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
Now, all right, we just heard Sark. We're gonna go
through the NCAA football first playoff seedings that were announced yesterday,
the biggest news of yesterday. And we'll do that in
about fifteen minutes from now. Yes, so I think you're happy.
Would you say, well, we'll find it fine whatever, it
(08:56):
doesn't matter. Yeah, all right, So Alex Bregman's agent will
be speaking today.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Dana Brown spoke yesterday. Ken I like Dana.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I I don't really know him that well. You know,
I had a very good relationship with Jeff Leno. I
had basically a zero relationship with James Click And that's fine.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
When everyone he went there very long and he was
Crane had zero relationship with him. That's probably reason why
he's not here. But uh, and Dana is you know,
maybe we'll break bread sometime. I don't know. I'm ready
because I I I do think he did a good job.
Speaker 1 (09:31):
He was brought here for the most important reason was
to replenish the farm system and make some deals. I
don't think he's intimately involved in the.
Speaker 2 (09:40):
Serious, serious negotiations.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
I think when Dana speaks, he spoke yesterday, he was
speaking as obviously a guy that was going to be
He's got Jim's check book, but he can't sign it,
and he can he can fill it out, signature to it.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, it's like when you were a kid and you
uh was his way back in the day, folks, and
it was something you needed for school and you guys
got to bring it to your mom and I.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
First sign it like a progress report.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Yeah, like a progress report or if it was I
don't know, like a check for something at school, right,
like you need to buy your gym clothes or something.
I have written one check in five years in the
last and I wrote it within the last couple of months.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
My old apartments used to take check for rent and
I used to do that, but that's it. But I
mean when I was younger, I really had to worry
about it. Like I was down like twenty five checks.
I'm like, I gotta I gotta holder these checks quick. Yeah,
and you figured outf you want to put a sports
logo on it, or your school logo or something in
the backdrop. But now I'm like, like, I think I
know where my check book is in the house, but
(10:37):
I'm not completely sure.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
To hear some fuddy.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
When I did my first checks when I was like
seventeen years old, I did Old English.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
I did my name in Old English because I thought
that was cool. How stupid is that?
Speaker 1 (10:51):
I was like, yeah, i'd be cool. I'm getting my
name in Old English on my checks. I mean, that
doesn't sound ridiculous. I will say this. The coolest thing
I thought as an eighteen year old was getting my
first credit card. That was much to my detriment. I
didn't realize I had to actually pay the bill and
those bills came for the Columbia House CDs. Yeah, when
you're when you're a freshman at college and get Sydney's, Hey,
(11:12):
get your first credit card nineteen percent interest.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I'm all right with that. I'll pay it off of
her mind some time. I'll be happy to do that,
all right.
Speaker 1 (11:20):
So we we've we've determined that Jim Crane has the
check book. He's given it to data, but he has
to sign it. Yes, yeah, it's his money, Okay. So
I'm gonna pay with the brush on this. My guess
is when the at the end of the day, the
most competitive offer the Astros will make will be one
that we will have much more validity to it than say,
(11:42):
Carls Koreas offer much more validity to what Garrett Cole's
offered me or man, I've been much more validity to
it than what George Springer's contract was.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
If Washington, we mentioned this yesterday, if the Nationals are
a team that's been long rumored this, Alex say, man,
I have two World Series rings. Absolutely, I have a
gold Glove. I was a part of excellent teams year
after year after year. I'm gonna go finish my last
the last half or the last third of my major
(12:14):
league career. I just get in a big ass check
and you know what I got news for your sports fans.
A lot of athletes do that, a lot of athletes
will chase the check, especially after they turn the age
of thirty. Two time All Star, two time World Series Champion,
gold Glover, runner up to MVP silver Slugger.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
What does he have left to chase? Winning is fun?
Speaker 3 (12:44):
For me?
Speaker 1 (12:44):
It would be just winning is fun. Absolutely, And who's
to say the Nationals can't win? That's true because he says,
I'll come here and make you relevantly. I think they
have some really good to get young up and coming.
I've not done a deep dive on the Nationals just yet.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I mean I could.
Speaker 1 (12:58):
Yeah, don't don't quote me on that if I'm wrong,
But I think they do have some stuff in the pipeline.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Oh, I think no one's ever said they were a
horrific organization. They just had a really frankly since the
World Series run, they've been a terrible team.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I mean, what guarantees do you.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Let's say he stays here, You're still not better than
the Yankees, You're still not better than the Orioles. I
don't think closed and I don't And while I give
a very super slim chance that Alex days and I
mean I'm putting in at about one percent. I think
the thought of Kyle Tucker staying here is at zero percent.
I think I think we're still close to zero on Bregmann.
(13:33):
I got I got swept up in the optimism ten
minutes ago. Wait a minute, wait, you just were optimistic
at ten twenty six. How could you have changed your
mind at ten thir are going to be on the
tax again if they signed him, aren't they?
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah? Because oh, by the way, we forgot to mention this.
Speaker 3 (13:47):
Yes, who's talking?
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Who? Justin Verlander's agent and the Astros?
Speaker 1 (13:52):
God?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Is this a crane white belt deal? What is a
white belt deal?
Speaker 1 (13:56):
When two dudes have the white belts, they say they
want to hang out with each other as long as
they of them together. Or what happened when they play golf?
They played with white belts. It's the white belt club
that's better. In the white hood club. The white belt
club is undefeated.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (14:12):
He signed away with New York the last time, but
it came back, drew a line in the sand there.
Well yeah, and then everybody got hurt, and well, Astros
needed starting pitching. He signed away once he can sign
away again? Suddenly, ask you this. Why are they talking
to Justin Verlander. You're exploring all your options. They should
(14:33):
be talking to you Sae Kakuchi's people. Oh by the way,
Scott Boris, Oh really okay, Well let's go. That's one meeting,
one less meeting, one less sandwich.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
You gotta buy.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
I wonder if if you can do if you sit
down and do both guys in one conversation. Or Boris
is so regimented, he's like, we're only here to talk
about bregnant or we're only here to talk about He
probably has a system. I'm sure he's got all the
big free agent, most successful agents in the history of agents. Yeah,
I'm pretty sure he's got it down.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
That maye bother me more than I mean. Look, I
love Justin Verlander. He's one of the greatest astro pictures
of all time. Yes, but it took him forever to
ramp up, and he never really got ramped up. No,
he was hurt on two different occasions. He's gonna get
he's gonna be even older. When he was out there,
(15:23):
he was bad. He's giving up home runs like crazy.
It's not getting swing and miss stuff's not there. Do
not sign do not sign Justin Verlander. Jim Crazy, Well,
is this if you're signing Justin Verlander. I don't even
know if he believes in a discount, but my guess
is that you would maybe get a Jim Crane semi
discount because he likes the astros.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
He owes Tommy John discounts. He owes, I was crappy
last year, discounts, he owes.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Well, it means that he doesn't want to go chase
Some veteran players, Hall of famers, don't want to bounce
around towards end of their career. Some are built differently
in the NBA. You see it all the time. Chris
has been with six teams. Chris Paul's going to the
Basketball Hall of Fame. Chris Paul don't care where he goes.
He just wants to collect the chain. Some guys are like,
you know what, I've been a met, I've been an astro,
(16:08):
I've been a Tiger. Do I do I want to
finish the last three years of my life going between Toronto,
UH and UH Washington and Arizona. You know, maybe some
maybe some guys like familiarity. I think Justin Verlander takes
the highest offer possible for that. He can get eye
no matter where it is. But maybe, and maybe this
conversation between Dana and Justin's agent was just here's the
(16:30):
courtesy year.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
I was on your payroll last year. Where are we
at now?
Speaker 1 (16:34):
And maybe maybe Dana sets the market for where Justin
may go if he wants to pitch somewhere in twenty
twenty five.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
I don't know, all right, So there you have it
on zapp.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Yeah, I'm trying to buy into the optimism. I just
brought myself back to earth once I thought about how
it's going to be luxury tax again, and.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Then it's just this.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
The twenty percent penalty the first year, thirty percent the
second year.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
That's a lot of money.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
And after once they get everybody through arbitration, they're going
to be basically already nice. And here's a little reality
that that nobody can well, I guess some people can control.
You don't have TV money coming in anymore because the
Space City are now. Space Network was owned by a
group of people. Now it's owned by the team, So
you don't have the automatic revenue coming in the likes
(17:22):
of what it was before.
Speaker 2 (17:23):
You got a World Series pop from.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Attendance, and that waned you didn't draw as many regular
season that you did the previous couple of years. You
took a little dip on that, and then you had
the text threshold the issues now you do see you
don't even really lose that much on JV's contract, as
most of it was paid for by the Mets.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
The guys.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
You also got rid of the archides of the world
and the trade cabbages.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
They they're blips on the radar when it comes to
your salary.
Speaker 1 (17:54):
And oh, by the way, if you signed Bregman and
you figure out a way to sign if Verliner wants
to come back, and you know Vernlin ain't gonna be back,
I don't think I'm the cheap Where does that leave
you for even talking to Kyle Tucker? If you're already
over the threshold on a second time in two consecutive years.
You know, this is why baseball executives get the big money,
(18:17):
Because what Jim is saying is that you know what, Dana,
here's my checkbook, and here's my puzzle piece. You need
to configure it for us here, But I'm giving you
a I'm giving you a number that you cannot go
over on certain guys and if it isn't what it is,
we're gonna move on. Problem is, there's just nobody ready
to play third base right now. Zach Desenzo might be
a starting first baseman for this team, it sounds like
third base isn't really an option. Shaye Witcomb, Yeah, we've
(18:40):
been saying that. We've been saying the Zendo didn't profile
defensively third base. I don't know if Shae Whitcombe again,
I don't even want to use the small samples of
what he saw during the course of the year. Yes,
let's this is your race. Eliminate the four error game.
It never happened. I don't think anybody in the organization
thought Shay Woodcombe was the heir apparent. Fie No, just
(19:01):
a very nice solid Yeah, but you were going from
Bregman to Witcomb would be losing tremendous power, defense and
tremendous glove and leadership and leadership because Josel Tuova first greatest,
the leader he is doesn't say much. He leads by example.
Who's the next greatest leader on the Astros not named
(19:22):
jose Al Tuba? Jordan talked about taking up a leadership
role I don't know if that really materialized because I
don't know. I'm not in the clubhouse. Is a question
for more for a beat reporter or something, but uh,
maybe Jordon, maybe Verlander. I mean that he's going to
be gone. Bregman, I think was probably the big dog
in terms of that type of leadership of the squad.
(19:44):
Seven one three two one two five seven ninety seven
one three two one two five seven nine zero. The
college football playoffs were anounced yesterday, at least the first
round of them. Will run through the list. See what
you're thinking. If you're a Texas A and M fan
right now, you're on the outside looking in. We'll discuss
that next seven one three two one two five seven
ninety
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!