December 13, 2024 • 12 mins
670 The Score/Marquee Sports Network's Bruce Levine joins Dan Mathews and Chris Gordy on The Night Cap. He talks about how the Kyle Tucker trade is being received by Cub fans. He also talks about what Astro fans can expect from Isaac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and from 3B prospect Cam Smith. Levine's report on Smith will really excite Astro fans.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Sports Talk seven ninety the nightcap here on your home
of the Astros and the Rockets. But of course today
it's all about the Astros, and the Astros did some
business today with the Chicago Cubs, and a man who
covers that club very closely with six seventy the score
up there in Chicago. He is Bruce Levine and he
(00:21):
joins us here. Bruce, appreciate your time to night. You
got myself, Dan Matthews, you got Chris Gordy with you
here on the flagship home of the Astros. Let's just
start off first. I mean, you know, I'm sure that
probably you, like many around the game, you kind of
had your intenta up a little bit with this, and
you'd probably seen the rumors that the Cubs were one
of the teams that seemingly was involved in the possible
(00:44):
trade scenario for Kyle Tucker. But when it finally went through,
what was the reaction up there? I mean, was it
a little bit of surprise? Was it kind of like Okay, hey,
we're we're actually gonna have an okay off season up here? Like?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What was it? Well, we started to report from the
winter meetings that the Astros and Cubs were in conversations
and that Tucker was the object, and it seemed that
with one year left on his contract, the Astros were
not engaging in any long term contract with him, and
(01:15):
therefore they were not interested in just keeping him for
one more year before he left. And the Cubs, who
desperately needed a all star type player, left handed hitter
with power and outstanding outfielder, somebody to really solidify their lineup,
they pounced and they gave up. They give up three
(01:37):
really good players for him. I know you want to
talk about all of them at some point, but the
people here in Chicago are thrilled they have a star
player like Kyle Tucker, who was considered in baseball circles
to be one of the most underrated stars in the game.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, versus it's a fine line right between. You know,
he's going to be a free agent after this year,
so obviously you don't have too much leverage, but you know,
a little bit of a bidding war with multiple teams
interested in him, so you know, the Astros are tasked
with getting the most they could. I've seen some fans
saying they didn't get enough. I know, Suzuki's name was
(02:18):
kind of thrown out there. But you are kind of
stuck between a rock and a hard place, because as
good as this player is, at the end of the day,
it could just be a one year rental. So evaluate
kind of just what they get what the Cubs gave up.
Freddy Astros fan who might be thinking that it wasn't enough.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Well, you have a pool hitter with a tremendous amount
of power in parades the third basement, and he was
an All Star for Tampa before being traded at the
deadline of the Cubs. He never got on track with
the Cubs. A Wrigley Field, which is known during the
summer for a home run park, played to the second
smallest park in baseball. During the year, they gave up
(02:57):
the second fewest home runs in their history for both
teams in that ballpark. So Parady's never got on tracked.
But he's a good ballplayer. He's an average defender, he's
got a decent arm, he has tremendous power, and he's
a poll hitter. So Brown and his people did a
lot of homework on the fact that with the Crawford boxes,
(03:21):
this is a guy that should be a thirty home
run hitter for the Houston Astros, and it also gives
them a lot of leverage in the situation going forward
with Bregman, whether he's back or not. You know, you
have somebody to step in there and hit, probably for
more power than Bregman. Not the all around player that
(03:41):
Bregman is. I would never suggest that. I think Bregman
is a terrific player, but I don't know if Bregman
is the same player he was two or three years ago.
So with all that in mind, they're protective. There was Netsky.
You have a guy that can start or relieve. He's
a you know, usually hitting around ninety three miles an hour,
(04:02):
got a really good breaking ball, and he showed the
ability to go up and back between the bullpen and
starting and do a good job on both. He injured
himself a little bit, missed the last three or four
weeks of the season, but terrific teammate, terrific guy. Whether
you want him to start or relieve. He's not a
number one, two or three starter, but if he has
(04:25):
to go in, he can do an adequate job, give
you five or six good innings if you need him
as a starter. The real player for me in this
deal is cam Smith. Every scout that you talked to
tells you that this guy doesn't have a chance to
just be a good player. He has a chance to
be a superstar. He came out of college last year,
(04:46):
drafted by the Cubs and just tore up the minor leagues.
Terrific individual, great personality, team player. He should really mash
and I don't think on the track that he's on
it'll take more than another year in the minor league
he'll be ready to come there and play your ballpark.
(05:07):
So I think that they got a really great player
possibility for a player who's an outstanding player right now
that was only going to be there with them for
one more year. I just think it's a good trade
for both teams. The Cubs desperately needed a guy that
could hit two, three or four and with power and
(05:28):
play a good right field. They're now going to turn
around and trade either Bellinger or Suzuki one or the
other so that there is enough room as a DH
and three outfielders. The outfield is really packed for the
Chicago Cubs. They have two really good young players coming
(05:49):
up in the Alcntara, and in casey, one of them
is likely to get traded in the deal to bring
back a pitcher. So the Cubs are making all kinds
of moves. They're tired of being just average over the
last two years. They're trying to step up and be
the Chicago Cubs of twenty fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen
(06:09):
once more again.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Bruce Levine joined us from six seventy the Score there
in Chicago. He's also a contributor part of the Marquee
Sports Network there local regional TV channel up there in Chicago.
And you know, Bruce, I mean, just from what you
were talking about right there, if going through Peretiz Westnsky
as well as Smith, I mean, is it probably from
(06:31):
some of the people you've talked with within that Cubs
organization that they kind of had to take a hard
swallow right there with including Smith in this package deal.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, Originally they asked for Smith and Matt Shaw, which
is two of their top number one picks in the
last three years. Okay, they weren't. They weren't giving in
on that. They give in. They gave in here. They
were they were on giving up parades. They were solid
(07:03):
on giving up Smith after you know, going up and back.
But wasz Nesky was the final part of the deal.
They wanted to give a minor league pitcher back. The
Astros insisted on Wiznsky and the deal was made.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
It's very interesting in him being a Houston kid and
certainly a guy that a lot of people are familiar with.
I want to go back to Cam Smith just a
little bit because you mentioned you think he'll be able
to make that rise pretty quickly. It is interesting the
Astros kind of depleted their farm system the last couple
of years with all the big trades they moved made,
and then obviously losing those draft picks and the sign
(07:44):
stealing thing and all that. But you mentioned, you know,
you think he's going to be ready here pretty soon.
Is he a true third basement You think there's other
positions he might be able to play.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
They're not sure about that. You know, third basement sometimes
end up being first baseman, right, Great hitters sometimes ended
up being first baseman. D H's they think he can
play third base. But against Paradus is under contract for
three more years. You have Waznewsky in this trade that
they have contract control over for another four years, and
(08:18):
Smith are going to have six, So I think Brown
is is looking really smart about this. He's he's getting
big league players, he's getting contract control, and he's also
you know, getting rid of a guy that they're probably
had no chance to sign next year. He has a
(08:39):
typical type of year as he always does. He's probably
you know, looking at what thirty five million dollars a
year times eight. So I don't think the Houston was
going to be involved in that. As much as a
love Tucker, I mean, what was there you guys, tell
me what was there not to like about Kyle Tucker.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I mean, I'd say probably the only gripe that many
people had is a couple of down postseasons. But aside
from that, I mean, to your point there, Bruce, No,
he was everything that you had hoped he would have
been when he was going through the farm system and
had all the hype before he got up here to
the major league level.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, and you know you look at him and Okay,
he had a couple down playoffs, he wasn't really quite
the player he was coming back from that ankle injury
you know, in September and then the two games that
you lost in the playoffs. But for the Cubs, it's
a guy that they can put a second or third
(09:43):
in their lineup pretty much. Count on thirty and one
hundred play a solid defense up until you know, last
year he only played what sixty nine games something like this,
seventy one games. He was steal in thirty bases as well,
so I don't see too many holes in his game.
I think that the Cubs really needed to step up
(10:05):
their game. In the Central Division of the National League.
The general manager, president and general manager have one year
remaining on their contract. Eighty three wins the last two
years was just not cutting it. So the offense is
going to be perked up. The Cubs are not done yet.
We're talking to the Yankees about Dollinger right now, talking
(10:26):
to numerous other teams about starting pitching. You know, some
of the smaller market teams want some of the young
hitters in the Cub organization. Shaw and Casey are two
guys that are being coveted by a lot of different teams.
So I think you're going to see over the next
week or ten days, the Cubs to make at least one,
probably two more trades.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And that's actually where I wanted to go with a
final question for you, Bruce again. Bruce Levine joined US
from six to seventy a score also Marquee Sports Network
up there in Chicago. Could the Cubs be in on
Alex Bregman. I mean, doesn't that seem like that be
a great piece for them to be able to add
after a couple of years ago giving that huge contract
to you Dansby Swanson.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
They don't want to go over the luxury tax. They
hit right over it a little bit last year at
about two hundred and forty one million. They're about two
hundred million a little bit more right now. They're way
over now, probably with Bellinger. They have to The first
first big thing they have to do is they have
(11:28):
to get themselves a starting pitcher that's a power arm.
But most as important, they're going to have to trade
Dollinger's contract, which is thirty two point five million for
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
They have to.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Loosen up the the luxury tax situation, and either him
or Suzuki are going to get traded, probably before the
first of the year. It's not that they don't like Dollinger,
it's just that getting Tucker is a replacement and a
superior player in their minds for Bellinger. Now they need
the relief for the payroll of the thirty two point
(12:05):
five million that they owe Balinger for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Well, Bruce, hey, we really appreciate your time, especially to
on a Friday night hopping on to let us know
here in Houston about paritis Wesnski and also about cam Smith.
And yeah, we really appreciate you carving out a few
minutes for
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Us and Chris a pleasure call me anytime, take care
of have a good night.
Sports Talk seven ninety the nightcap here on your home
of the Astros and the Rockets. But of course today
it's all about the Astros, and the Astros did some
business today with the Chicago Cubs, and a man who
covers that club very closely with six seventy the score
up there in Chicago. He is Bruce Levine and he
(00:21):
joins us here. Bruce, appreciate your time to night. You
got myself, Dan Matthews, you got Chris Gordy with you
here on the flagship home of the Astros. Let's just
start off first. I mean, you know, I'm sure that
probably you, like many around the game, you kind of
had your intenta up a little bit with this, and
you'd probably seen the rumors that the Cubs were one
of the teams that seemingly was involved in the possible
(00:44):
trade scenario for Kyle Tucker. But when it finally went through,
what was the reaction up there? I mean, was it
a little bit of surprise? Was it kind of like Okay, hey,
we're we're actually gonna have an okay off season up here? Like?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
What was it? Well, we started to report from the
winter meetings that the Astros and Cubs were in conversations
and that Tucker was the object, and it seemed that
with one year left on his contract, the Astros were
not engaging in any long term contract with him, and
(01:15):
therefore they were not interested in just keeping him for
one more year before he left. And the Cubs, who
desperately needed a all star type player, left handed hitter
with power and outstanding outfielder, somebody to really solidify their lineup,
they pounced and they gave up. They give up three
(01:37):
really good players for him. I know you want to
talk about all of them at some point, but the
people here in Chicago are thrilled they have a star
player like Kyle Tucker, who was considered in baseball circles
to be one of the most underrated stars in the game.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Yeah, versus it's a fine line right between. You know,
he's going to be a free agent after this year,
so obviously you don't have too much leverage, but you know,
a little bit of a bidding war with multiple teams
interested in him, so you know, the Astros are tasked
with getting the most they could. I've seen some fans
saying they didn't get enough. I know, Suzuki's name was
(02:18):
kind of thrown out there. But you are kind of
stuck between a rock and a hard place, because as
good as this player is, at the end of the day,
it could just be a one year rental. So evaluate
kind of just what they get what the Cubs gave up.
Freddy Astros fan who might be thinking that it wasn't enough.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Well, you have a pool hitter with a tremendous amount
of power in parades the third basement, and he was
an All Star for Tampa before being traded at the
deadline of the Cubs. He never got on track with
the Cubs. A Wrigley Field, which is known during the
summer for a home run park, played to the second
smallest park in baseball. During the year, they gave up
(02:57):
the second fewest home runs in their history for both
teams in that ballpark. So Parady's never got on tracked.
But he's a good ballplayer. He's an average defender, he's
got a decent arm, he has tremendous power, and he's
a poll hitter. So Brown and his people did a
lot of homework on the fact that with the Crawford boxes,
(03:21):
this is a guy that should be a thirty home
run hitter for the Houston Astros, and it also gives
them a lot of leverage in the situation going forward
with Bregman, whether he's back or not. You know, you
have somebody to step in there and hit, probably for
more power than Bregman. Not the all around player that
(03:41):
Bregman is. I would never suggest that. I think Bregman
is a terrific player, but I don't know if Bregman
is the same player he was two or three years ago.
So with all that in mind, they're protective. There was Netsky.
You have a guy that can start or relieve. He's
a you know, usually hitting around ninety three miles an hour,
(04:02):
got a really good breaking ball, and he showed the
ability to go up and back between the bullpen and
starting and do a good job on both. He injured
himself a little bit, missed the last three or four
weeks of the season, but terrific teammate, terrific guy. Whether
you want him to start or relieve. He's not a
number one, two or three starter, but if he has
(04:25):
to go in, he can do an adequate job, give
you five or six good innings if you need him
as a starter. The real player for me in this
deal is cam Smith. Every scout that you talked to
tells you that this guy doesn't have a chance to
just be a good player. He has a chance to
be a superstar. He came out of college last year,
(04:46):
drafted by the Cubs and just tore up the minor leagues.
Terrific individual, great personality, team player. He should really mash
and I don't think on the track that he's on
it'll take more than another year in the minor league
he'll be ready to come there and play your ballpark.
(05:07):
So I think that they got a really great player
possibility for a player who's an outstanding player right now
that was only going to be there with them for
one more year. I just think it's a good trade
for both teams. The Cubs desperately needed a guy that
could hit two, three or four and with power and
(05:28):
play a good right field. They're now going to turn
around and trade either Bellinger or Suzuki one or the
other so that there is enough room as a DH
and three outfielders. The outfield is really packed for the
Chicago Cubs. They have two really good young players coming
(05:49):
up in the Alcntara, and in casey, one of them
is likely to get traded in the deal to bring
back a pitcher. So the Cubs are making all kinds
of moves. They're tired of being just average over the
last two years. They're trying to step up and be
the Chicago Cubs of twenty fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and eighteen
(06:09):
once more again.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Bruce Levine joined us from six seventy the Score there
in Chicago. He's also a contributor part of the Marquee
Sports Network there local regional TV channel up there in Chicago.
And you know, Bruce, I mean, just from what you
were talking about right there, if going through Peretiz Westnsky
as well as Smith, I mean, is it probably from
(06:31):
some of the people you've talked with within that Cubs
organization that they kind of had to take a hard
swallow right there with including Smith in this package deal.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Yeah, Originally they asked for Smith and Matt Shaw, which
is two of their top number one picks in the
last three years. Okay, they weren't. They weren't giving in
on that. They give in. They gave in here. They
were they were on giving up parades. They were solid
(07:03):
on giving up Smith after you know, going up and back.
But wasz Nesky was the final part of the deal.
They wanted to give a minor league pitcher back. The
Astros insisted on Wiznsky and the deal was made.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
It's very interesting in him being a Houston kid and
certainly a guy that a lot of people are familiar with.
I want to go back to Cam Smith just a
little bit because you mentioned you think he'll be able
to make that rise pretty quickly. It is interesting the
Astros kind of depleted their farm system the last couple
of years with all the big trades they moved made,
and then obviously losing those draft picks and the sign
(07:44):
stealing thing and all that. But you mentioned, you know,
you think he's going to be ready here pretty soon.
Is he a true third basement You think there's other
positions he might be able to play.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
They're not sure about that. You know, third basement sometimes
end up being first baseman, right, Great hitters sometimes ended
up being first baseman. D H's they think he can
play third base. But against Paradus is under contract for
three more years. You have Waznewsky in this trade that
they have contract control over for another four years, and
(08:18):
Smith are going to have six, So I think Brown
is is looking really smart about this. He's he's getting
big league players, he's getting contract control, and he's also
you know, getting rid of a guy that they're probably
had no chance to sign next year. He has a
(08:39):
typical type of year as he always does. He's probably
you know, looking at what thirty five million dollars a
year times eight. So I don't think the Houston was
going to be involved in that. As much as a
love Tucker, I mean, what was there you guys, tell
me what was there not to like about Kyle Tucker.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
I mean, I'd say probably the only gripe that many
people had is a couple of down postseasons. But aside
from that, I mean, to your point there, Bruce, No,
he was everything that you had hoped he would have
been when he was going through the farm system and
had all the hype before he got up here to
the major league level.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, and you know you look at him and Okay,
he had a couple down playoffs, he wasn't really quite
the player he was coming back from that ankle injury
you know, in September and then the two games that
you lost in the playoffs. But for the Cubs, it's
a guy that they can put a second or third
(09:43):
in their lineup pretty much. Count on thirty and one
hundred play a solid defense up until you know, last
year he only played what sixty nine games something like this,
seventy one games. He was steal in thirty bases as well,
so I don't see too many holes in his game.
I think that the Cubs really needed to step up
(10:05):
their game. In the Central Division of the National League.
The general manager, president and general manager have one year
remaining on their contract. Eighty three wins the last two
years was just not cutting it. So the offense is
going to be perked up. The Cubs are not done yet.
We're talking to the Yankees about Dollinger right now, talking
(10:26):
to numerous other teams about starting pitching. You know, some
of the smaller market teams want some of the young
hitters in the Cub organization. Shaw and Casey are two
guys that are being coveted by a lot of different teams.
So I think you're going to see over the next
week or ten days, the Cubs to make at least one,
probably two more trades.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And that's actually where I wanted to go with a
final question for you, Bruce again. Bruce Levine joined US
from six to seventy a score also Marquee Sports Network
up there in Chicago. Could the Cubs be in on
Alex Bregman. I mean, doesn't that seem like that be
a great piece for them to be able to add
after a couple of years ago giving that huge contract
to you Dansby Swanson.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
They don't want to go over the luxury tax. They
hit right over it a little bit last year at
about two hundred and forty one million. They're about two
hundred million a little bit more right now. They're way
over now, probably with Bellinger. They have to The first
first big thing they have to do is they have
(11:28):
to get themselves a starting pitcher that's a power arm.
But most as important, they're going to have to trade
Dollinger's contract, which is thirty two point five million for
this year.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
They have to.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Loosen up the the luxury tax situation, and either him
or Suzuki are going to get traded, probably before the
first of the year. It's not that they don't like Dollinger,
it's just that getting Tucker is a replacement and a
superior player in their minds for Bellinger. Now they need
the relief for the payroll of the thirty two point
(12:05):
five million that they owe Balinger for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Well, Bruce, hey, we really appreciate your time, especially to
on a Friday night hopping on to let us know
here in Houston about paritis Wesnski and also about cam Smith.
And yeah, we really appreciate you carving out a few
minutes for
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Us and Chris a pleasure call me anytime, take care
of have a good night.
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