June 3, 2026 • 19 mins
Legendary writer Larry Stone joins Softy and Dick Fain to talk about George Kirby’s bad outing today for the Mariners and what’s been going on for him recently, the state of the M’s pitching staff with potential more moves ahead including returning to the piggyback, the lack of panic for Josh Naylor, Julio Rodriguez expectations now, and Russell Wilson.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight Fugit
Sound locations from Marysville to Lacy and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram near you. Now with Softy and Dick.
Here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
All right, we're back at Jimmy's on First hanging out
until seven o'clock tonight. Saftie Dick Jackson with you on
the radio show, but right now joining us on the program.
It's always a good time to have this guy with
us on the show. Our friend, former Seattle Times columnists
and frankly I think the best to ever do it,
and now owner once again of his own Twitter accounts. Yes, repaired,
(01:01):
joining us on the program. Larry, how are you man?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm doing great. Yeah, that was a red letter day
when I got my Twitter account pack after four long weeks,
and now I'm overdoing it with tweets.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Larry, let me ask you a question. You ever had gout,
by the way, You ever suffer from goutow?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I have not?
Speaker 5 (01:20):
No?
Speaker 6 (01:20):
Okay, Well, gout is terrible.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You never know how much you need your big toe,
by the way, until you have gout.
Speaker 6 (01:26):
Twitter is the same way.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You never know how much you really need your Twitter
account until you don't freaking have it. So I'm glad
that you got it back, by the way, but the
pain is almost worse than getting gout in your big toe.
And for those that have had gout in their big toe,
they know exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 6 (01:41):
It sucks. Anyway, Let's move on because that's gross, Larry.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Let's talk about what happened today at t Mobile Park
for a minute. We'll get into the six man rotation,
Russell Wilson's retirement, all of that. George Kirby is last
four starts all of a sudden man seven point two
eight eer with a whip over one point six He's
one in three in his last four games, and you know,
thirty four base runners in twenty one innings is not
(02:05):
very George Kirby, Like, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, I don't know. He started off the season so strong,
you know, like he was trying to get back to
his all star level, and then it's just hit the skids.
I mean today there was some bad luck, some bad
defense behind him, but they also hit him pretty hard,
and they have over those last four stards that you referenced.
(02:29):
I mean, there's ebbs and flows with pitchers and they
Kirby's perfectly capable of working out of it, but right
now it's one of the few concerns that they have
during the stretch of playing great baseball.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
Who would be.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Your one, two three in a playoff series if you
started it today?
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Wow, Yeah, I think I'd go wo Gilbert, and then
that third spot would be right now, I'd probably go
with Hancock. I mean the third, you know, the first
year is a full time starter, but he's been dominant
and probably the most consistent of any of them. So
(03:10):
and then if there was a fourth, it would probably
be Kirby. But I mean there's a long time for
that to change the way Bryce Miller has pitched. He
would certainly be a consideration, you know, when you get
to a seven game series and might be a fourth starter.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, Logan Gilbert was actually on the show with us
on Monday, and I asked him flat out, you know,
how close are you to getting a new deal done
with the Mariners because he's only got one more year left,
one more year of arbitration and then he's a free agent.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
And he said, there's nothing imintent.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
I mean, he made it sound like they're not even
anywhere near close to getting a long term deal done
with him. I mean at this point, would you be
more or less surprised? I guess if he signed an
extension with the Mariners, or maybe they traded him over
the offseason.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Yeah, they have a glut of pitching, Dave, and it's
perfectly set up up for a trade because you have
Anderson and Sloan coming, and you already have too many starters,
as we've learned with the piggyback. You have six good
starters in the majors plus two guys who look like
future studs. That's eight starters. Something's got to give. So
(04:18):
the longer it goes with Gilbert not getting assigned to
an extension, and the closer he gets to free agency,
I think he could be a candidate to be traded
in the offseason, or they just, you know, maybe just
let him go to free agency and deal with the
seven pictures that they have left in their rotation or
(04:40):
in the you know, potential rotation.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Larry, this six man rotation is is it worth upsetting
the rhythm of the entire rotation now to make all
of them more fresh in September and October when you
need Vlo and maybe a lot of pitchers don't have VELO.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
At that point. Well, I don't. I think it's a
huge disruption because when there's a day off, they have
the five days rest. So now that there's no day
off with six starters, you still have that five days rest.
So they're used to at times during the season getting
that that rest. Is the problem is with a six
(05:19):
man rotation is when there are also days off and
then you have six days rest, then it's a disruption,
right for two turns through the rotation while they're playing
all these games. I don't think it's a problem. It's
a way for it's almost like a competition between Miller
and Castillo to see who pitches well and the two
(05:39):
the best, and the two starts that they have moving forward.
At some point, I still think they're going to have
to they keep kicking the can down the road, and
here's even further down the road. But you know, I
do think that that that that could well help them
in the postseason. But I don't think they want to
go to a six man rotation permanent. I think it's
(06:00):
just while they're playing this run of games and they
don't have the days off. But at some point they're
either going to have to go back to the piggyback
or our decision and put one of the two in
the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, you know, Larry, it's funny and I don't want to,
you know, kind of like pick sides here. But it
almost feels like, in a little bit of a way, guys,
that there have been like these factions that have formed
in Seattle. There's the Probe, there's the pro Piggyback, there's
the anti Piggyback. There's the pro six man, there's the
anti six man, there's the pro Price, There's there's the
pro Castillo, and there's the pro JP there's the pro third,
(06:34):
there's the pro Short, the pro Donovan, the pro could.
It's crazy, we're all picking sides here, but everybody has,
you know, what a reason why something should continue? Like
the piggyback is great because it's basically just one guy
made out of two players, and it gives the bullpen
a bunch of rest. Okay, well, if that's working now,
then why not stick with that the entire year? The
(06:54):
six man rotation is great because it limits the innings
and it limits the wear and tear on a guy's
arm come September. Well, if that's the case, then why
not stick with that the entire year? But it sounds like,
and I agree with you, that eventually they're gonna admit
that that's not that, none of that's ideal, and they're
gonna go back to a five man rotation.
Speaker 6 (07:13):
Right, So, do you really feel.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Like all of this is temporary or can you envision
a scenario where they maybe stick with the six man
all year long if Louise and Bryce keep pitching the.
Speaker 6 (07:23):
Way they are.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Possible? But I don't actually see that. I think it's
more likely that they'll go back to the piggyback when
when they know they get back. I mean, I mean,
I think they could point to the fact that it worked.
I mean maybe in this stretch where Castillo's gonna get
two starts and Miller's gonna get two starts, is you know,
if Castillo gets knocked around and Miller, you know, deals,
(07:49):
then then it kind of solves itself, I think. But
you know, if they both pitch, well, I think it's
gonna be hard for them to take one out of
the rotation. What I want to I want to see
Miller on Bryce unleashed. You know, he's just so good
and in each of his starts, I want to see
what he can do when there's not this artificial innings
(08:09):
limit because of the piggyback. I think in a couple
of those starts he could he could have, you know,
pitched seven really strong innings and he you know, he
was rolling and so I'm really eager to see him
in a start without the piggyback looming behind him. And
you know, I just think he's so good that he's
(08:31):
not going to be the one that goes to the bullpen,
and nor do I think he should be.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, well, I'm on thousand percent with you, and I
want to see this guy pitch every fifth day with
no restrictions whatsoever, and you tweeted.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
Something the ear day when you got your account back.
By the way, that I agree with.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It almost feels like when you do the piggyback that
you're almost obligated before the game begins to give the
second half of the piggyback, whoever that guy is that
day a significant amount of innings, no matter what's happening
with the starter.
Speaker 6 (09:00):
I don't like that.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
But my question to you is this, you've been inside
clubhouses before when it comes to signing a guy like
a Bryce Miller to an extension down the road? Is
this something that he'll think about? Like, Man, I can't
believe they did me like that. This is ridiculous. I'm
not gonna forget this. Luis Castillo has no choice because
he's got a couple years left and he's getting older.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
But do you think this is something that.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Could potentially impact negotiations with Bryce Miller if they want
to sign the guy in a year or two.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I honestly don't think so. Softy, if he were entering
the you know, free his walk year or anything like that, maybe,
but there's so much time before he becomes a free agent.
He's I mean, he's I don't I don't know exactly
what his service time is, but I think it's you know,
two years max. So we've got.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Twenty twenty thirty, he is a free agent, right right, yep.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So by then it might be a distant memory. If
he's you know, he's in the rotation next year and beyond,
I think the question of whether they'll we sign them
will come down to how much they're willing to pay him.
And if they're willing to pay him enough, I think
he will be easily overlook this episode that's happening now.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
I'm looking at the calendar here, Larry, and it's not
the list few. It's actually a calendar view because you
can kind of have a picture of when you might
need a six man rotation and when you might need
a piggyback, and you've got now you got like nine
games in a row, so it's a perfect opportunity for
the six man. And then after that you got two
days off of the course of eight days, so that
(10:39):
seems to be an opportunity for the piggyback. And then
you go back to nine games in a row, so
do you think it's possible that they can just bounce
back and forth all year long between the six man
and the piggyback, depending on how many days off they have.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I do, I do. I think that's probably the likeliest scenario.
And don't forget being you also have the two kids
looming in the minor leagues, just absolutely dominating in Anderson
and Sloan, who look like they're ready right now. I
think if they bring them up, I don't think they'll
(11:17):
do it for a while, but if they do, they
may just be bullpen pieces. But they're also you know,
starting candidates as well, But that's just further complicating things.
But yeah, I think that's I think if Castillo and
Miller both pitched well continue to pitch well, I think
(11:37):
that what you described, Dick is a strong possibility that
they just keep juggling those situations.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Well, Larry stones with us and Larry, you know, everybody
carries a in their pocket, a personal panic meter, right
that is their own and their own alone.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
Their their panic meter is not somebody else's panic meter.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
But I want to know because I was sitting at
the game today, I was talking to a buddy of
mine about Josh Naylor now Josh Naylor after he got
traded to the MS last year end of the year
with an eight thirty one OPS with the Mariners.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Right now, on.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
The third of June, one third of the season, right
in the books, he's at six sixty two. Where does
your personal panic meter sit on Josh Naylor right now?
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Not very high. I think if you erase those first
three weeks when he was absolutely terrible, I'd like to
look at his numbers since then. I think they're pretty respectable.
I don't think that he has been as dominant and
as impactful as I thought he would be, And I'm
sure you feel the same way. But I feel like
(12:46):
he's he's going to get better, and I don't think
I think he's too good a hitter with too good
a track record to stay this way for too long.
And again, most of his numbers are due to the
fact that he was hitting about one twenty three weeks
into the season, and I think he's been pretty representative
since then.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, well, I tell you right now, last forty two games,
not including today, he's got an eight to ten OPS
and he's hitting three h nine with six home runs
and twenty three RBIs I'll sign up for that. Yeah,
this is why we have you on to explain stuff
like that.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
He was just terrible at the beginning of the year.
He couldn't hit water, that's for sure. But Larry, because
I didn't have my Twitter hacked, I was able to
go back and forth with a Twitter height over the
last couple of days on Julio Rodriguez. And you know,
I was talking about Julio and somebody bounce back with
he's this guy's gonna just evolve into a perennial forty
home run guy.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
And I thought of it.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
I was like, really, I've always just thought of Julio
as just a solid hitter with a higher average and
maybe thirty ish home runs. But do you, I mean,
do you which Julio do you see?
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Do you see that type.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Of thirty one hundred guy or do you see a
guy that eventually is a forty home run almost every
year type guy.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Well, I sure missed those back and forth Twitter battle
that you do it debates when I didn't have my account,
But I see him as a thirty homer perennial thirty
homer guy who in a you know, one of those
seasons that, you know, one of those seasons where everything
comes together that players have periodically could could. I don't
(14:25):
think a forty homer season is out of the realm
of possibility. But I see him as a thirty thirty
kind of guy, one hundred rbi hi on base, high slugging.
But I don't think he's a forty homer perennial guy.
I think but what we just described is an extremely
(14:47):
valuable player who could be you know, who gets MVP
votes every year. I think in three out of his
four years he's been top ten MVP, So you know
there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Well, I tell you a guy that would I like
to have a few MVP votes on his resume. It's
our guy, Russell Wilson, who announced his retirement today. Larry
was a social media clip, professionally produced three and a
half minute social media clip, which was so unbrand for him.
By the way, it was ridiculous for the argument or
(15:18):
the debate came up as Russell Wilson going to be
one day in Canton, Ohio in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
If you had a vote, would you put him in?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Boy, I'd have to think long and heart about that.
When he left Seattle. I was sure he was going
to be a Hall of Famer, but his career just
just fizzled after that. You know, Candota had a stat
in his story today that he's seventeen and twenty seven
after being traded to Denver the rest of his career
after leaving Seattle. I think when push comes to shove,
(15:47):
I would vote for him. You know, I think he
was a top tier quarterback for ten years, won a
Super Bowl, got to two Super Bowls. I think he
was considered elite for a long time. I think i'd
still give him the Hall of Fame, but I understand
that it's going to be controversial and highly debated and
(16:10):
he may not get there. But if I had to vote,
and the NFL Hall of Fame is done in a
completely different manner than the one I do have a
vote in the baseball it's a small group of electors
who determined it, not the organization at large. So who knows.
But yeah, what do you guys think, are you supporters?
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I think we're.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Along your lines. I think Jackson's dead on that he
could get a Bill Cower esque bump from being on CBS,
because I don't think Bill Cower's in the Hall of
Fame if he doesn't spend the last fifteen years on
television every week, right, I mean, don't you think that
this actually helps him more than watching him struggle on
the field for the last couple of years of his career.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah, I'm sure that was part of his calculus too.
I'm sure he when he's debating whether to go to
the Jets as Gino's backup or go to the DV book,
I'm sure he's thinking about his Hall of Fame chances
and maybe he will get the glow up that coward
did well.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Not only is he seventeen and twenty seven after he
left the Seahawks. I mean, first of all, Bob ripped
that stat off from us because we had that on
the air Monday, So I'm accusing Bob of outright plagiarism
on the radio station. He also has a QBR under
forty since he left Seattle. So he has been absolutely
terrible since he left the Seahawks. But you know what
(17:33):
is his legacy here in Seattle. I mean a lot
of people don't want to give him a lot of
credit for that twenty thirteen team Larry. They want to
give the lob and the defense and Marshawn. But I mean,
how do you put a bow on Russell's legacy in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Well, it's a mixed legacy. You can't deny the play
on the field. I think there was some behind the
scenes things that don't reflect well on him, like you know,
rumors of him pushing to get coaches fired and and
things like that. But I think that in total, the
(18:10):
legacy is that he was he was a frontline quarterback
who was not the biggest part of their success because
that was the defense, but a big part of his
success and a big part of their success and ring
of honor for sure. But it just could have been
so much better. It just everything always seemed to be
(18:30):
difficult with him, and you know, all the the incidents
and things. It kind of it got wearisome after a while.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Now, I think you're right that when you win a
championship in your second year, it's hard to live up
to that, right. I mean, it's not like you spent
the first ten years chasing a title and then finally
got one, like like Elway did for example in Denver.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
But when you win so early, the bar is raised.
But I think all of us.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
If you would have told me when they drafted him
on draft night, this guy is gonna be number one touchdowns,
number one in yards, number one and wins and be
the starting quarterback on your first ever title team.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
I think all of us would have said, where do
we sign? Are you kidding me? All of us would
have taken that one thousand percent?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
All right, Larry, great stuff, man, Hey, start brushing up
on the World Cup.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
Next week.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
We want you to jump on the air and break
down the Egypty run game for us.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Okay, I just remembered I have a dentist appointment that.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
Yeah, convenient. All right, man, we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
See you buddy, all right, see you guys.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air. Yeah,
Russell Wilson calling at quits. We'll talk about that Mariners
get beat by the Mets today. Some reactions we're gonna
hear from Dan Wilson, George Kirby, and Hey, OTAs or sorry,
mini camp, not OTA's mini camp. The real thing is
happening at the vMac. We'll discuss next on ninety three
to three KJRFM.
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy and Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight Fugit
Sound locations from Marysville to Lacy and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram near you. Now with Softy and Dick.
Here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
All right, we're back at Jimmy's on First hanging out
until seven o'clock tonight. Saftie Dick Jackson with you on
the radio show, but right now joining us on the program.
It's always a good time to have this guy with
us on the show. Our friend, former Seattle Times columnists
and frankly I think the best to ever do it,
and now owner once again of his own Twitter accounts. Yes, repaired,
(01:01):
joining us on the program. Larry, how are you man?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
I'm doing great. Yeah, that was a red letter day
when I got my Twitter account pack after four long weeks,
and now I'm overdoing it with tweets.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
Larry, let me ask you a question. You ever had gout,
by the way, You ever suffer from goutow?
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I have not?
Speaker 5 (01:20):
No?
Speaker 6 (01:20):
Okay, Well, gout is terrible.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You never know how much you need your big toe,
by the way, until you have gout.
Speaker 6 (01:26):
Twitter is the same way.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
You never know how much you really need your Twitter
account until you don't freaking have it. So I'm glad
that you got it back, by the way, but the
pain is almost worse than getting gout in your big toe.
And for those that have had gout in their big toe,
they know exactly what I'm talking about.
Speaker 6 (01:41):
It sucks. Anyway, Let's move on because that's gross, Larry.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Let's talk about what happened today at t Mobile Park
for a minute. We'll get into the six man rotation,
Russell Wilson's retirement, all of that. George Kirby is last
four starts all of a sudden man seven point two
eight eer with a whip over one point six He's
one in three in his last four games, and you know,
thirty four base runners in twenty one innings is not
(02:05):
very George Kirby, Like, what's going on?
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Yeah, I don't know. He started off the season so strong,
you know, like he was trying to get back to
his all star level, and then it's just hit the skids.
I mean today there was some bad luck, some bad
defense behind him, but they also hit him pretty hard,
and they have over those last four stards that you referenced.
(02:29):
I mean, there's ebbs and flows with pitchers and they
Kirby's perfectly capable of working out of it, but right
now it's one of the few concerns that they have
during the stretch of playing great baseball.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
Who would be.
Speaker 5 (02:44):
Your one, two three in a playoff series if you
started it today?
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Wow, Yeah, I think I'd go wo Gilbert, and then
that third spot would be right now, I'd probably go
with Hancock. I mean the third, you know, the first
year is a full time starter, but he's been dominant
and probably the most consistent of any of them. So
(03:10):
and then if there was a fourth, it would probably
be Kirby. But I mean there's a long time for
that to change the way Bryce Miller has pitched. He
would certainly be a consideration, you know, when you get
to a seven game series and might be a fourth starter.
Speaker 6 (03:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Well, Logan Gilbert was actually on the show with us
on Monday, and I asked him flat out, you know,
how close are you to getting a new deal done
with the Mariners because he's only got one more year left,
one more year of arbitration and then he's a free agent.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
And he said, there's nothing imintent.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
I mean, he made it sound like they're not even
anywhere near close to getting a long term deal done
with him. I mean at this point, would you be
more or less surprised? I guess if he signed an
extension with the Mariners, or maybe they traded him over
the offseason.
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Yeah, they have a glut of pitching, Dave, and it's
perfectly set up up for a trade because you have
Anderson and Sloan coming, and you already have too many starters,
as we've learned with the piggyback. You have six good
starters in the majors plus two guys who look like
future studs. That's eight starters. Something's got to give. So
(04:18):
the longer it goes with Gilbert not getting assigned to
an extension, and the closer he gets to free agency,
I think he could be a candidate to be traded
in the offseason, or they just, you know, maybe just
let him go to free agency and deal with the
seven pictures that they have left in their rotation or
(04:40):
in the you know, potential rotation.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Larry, this six man rotation is is it worth upsetting
the rhythm of the entire rotation now to make all
of them more fresh in September and October when you
need Vlo and maybe a lot of pitchers don't have VELO.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
At that point. Well, I don't. I think it's a
huge disruption because when there's a day off, they have
the five days rest. So now that there's no day
off with six starters, you still have that five days rest.
So they're used to at times during the season getting
that that rest. Is the problem is with a six
(05:19):
man rotation is when there are also days off and
then you have six days rest, then it's a disruption,
right for two turns through the rotation while they're playing
all these games. I don't think it's a problem. It's
a way for it's almost like a competition between Miller
and Castillo to see who pitches well and the two
(05:39):
the best, and the two starts that they have moving forward.
At some point, I still think they're going to have
to they keep kicking the can down the road, and
here's even further down the road. But you know, I
do think that that that that could well help them
in the postseason. But I don't think they want to
go to a six man rotation permanent. I think it's
(06:00):
just while they're playing this run of games and they
don't have the days off. But at some point they're
either going to have to go back to the piggyback
or our decision and put one of the two in
the bullpen.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
Well, you know, Larry, it's funny and I don't want to,
you know, kind of like pick sides here. But it
almost feels like, in a little bit of a way, guys,
that there have been like these factions that have formed
in Seattle. There's the Probe, there's the pro Piggyback, there's
the anti Piggyback. There's the pro six man, there's the
anti six man, there's the pro Price, There's there's the
pro Castillo, and there's the pro JP there's the pro third,
(06:34):
there's the pro Short, the pro Donovan, the pro could.
It's crazy, we're all picking sides here, but everybody has,
you know, what a reason why something should continue? Like
the piggyback is great because it's basically just one guy
made out of two players, and it gives the bullpen
a bunch of rest. Okay, well, if that's working now,
then why not stick with that the entire year? The
(06:54):
six man rotation is great because it limits the innings
and it limits the wear and tear on a guy's
arm come September. Well, if that's the case, then why
not stick with that the entire year? But it sounds like,
and I agree with you, that eventually they're gonna admit
that that's not that, none of that's ideal, and they're
gonna go back to a five man rotation.
Speaker 6 (07:13):
Right, So, do you really feel.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Like all of this is temporary or can you envision
a scenario where they maybe stick with the six man
all year long if Louise and Bryce keep pitching the.
Speaker 6 (07:23):
Way they are.
Speaker 4 (07:26):
Possible? But I don't actually see that. I think it's
more likely that they'll go back to the piggyback when
when they know they get back. I mean, I mean,
I think they could point to the fact that it worked.
I mean maybe in this stretch where Castillo's gonna get
two starts and Miller's gonna get two starts, is you know,
if Castillo gets knocked around and Miller, you know, deals,
(07:49):
then then it kind of solves itself, I think. But
you know, if they both pitch, well, I think it's
gonna be hard for them to take one out of
the rotation. What I want to I want to see
Miller on Bryce unleashed. You know, he's just so good
and in each of his starts, I want to see
what he can do when there's not this artificial innings
(08:09):
limit because of the piggyback. I think in a couple
of those starts he could he could have, you know,
pitched seven really strong innings and he you know, he
was rolling and so I'm really eager to see him
in a start without the piggyback looming behind him. And
you know, I just think he's so good that he's
(08:31):
not going to be the one that goes to the bullpen,
and nor do I think he should be.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, well, I'm on thousand percent with you, and I
want to see this guy pitch every fifth day with
no restrictions whatsoever, and you tweeted.
Speaker 6 (08:43):
Something the ear day when you got your account back.
By the way, that I agree with.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
It almost feels like when you do the piggyback that
you're almost obligated before the game begins to give the
second half of the piggyback, whoever that guy is that
day a significant amount of innings, no matter what's happening
with the starter.
Speaker 6 (09:00):
I don't like that.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
But my question to you is this, you've been inside
clubhouses before when it comes to signing a guy like
a Bryce Miller to an extension down the road? Is
this something that he'll think about? Like, Man, I can't
believe they did me like that. This is ridiculous. I'm
not gonna forget this. Luis Castillo has no choice because
he's got a couple years left and he's getting older.
Speaker 6 (09:21):
But do you think this is something that.
Speaker 3 (09:24):
Could potentially impact negotiations with Bryce Miller if they want
to sign the guy in a year or two.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
I honestly don't think so. Softy, if he were entering
the you know, free his walk year or anything like that, maybe,
but there's so much time before he becomes a free agent.
He's I mean, he's I don't I don't know exactly
what his service time is, but I think it's you know,
two years max. So we've got.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Twenty twenty thirty, he is a free agent, right right, yep.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So by then it might be a distant memory. If
he's you know, he's in the rotation next year and beyond,
I think the question of whether they'll we sign them
will come down to how much they're willing to pay him.
And if they're willing to pay him enough, I think
he will be easily overlook this episode that's happening now.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
I'm looking at the calendar here, Larry, and it's not
the list few. It's actually a calendar view because you
can kind of have a picture of when you might
need a six man rotation and when you might need
a piggyback, and you've got now you got like nine
games in a row, so it's a perfect opportunity for
the six man. And then after that you got two
days off of the course of eight days, so that
(10:39):
seems to be an opportunity for the piggyback. And then
you go back to nine games in a row, so
do you think it's possible that they can just bounce
back and forth all year long between the six man
and the piggyback, depending on how many days off they have.
Speaker 4 (10:55):
I do, I do. I think that's probably the likeliest scenario.
And don't forget being you also have the two kids
looming in the minor leagues, just absolutely dominating in Anderson
and Sloan, who look like they're ready right now. I
think if they bring them up, I don't think they'll
(11:17):
do it for a while, but if they do, they
may just be bullpen pieces. But they're also you know,
starting candidates as well, But that's just further complicating things.
But yeah, I think that's I think if Castillo and
Miller both pitched well continue to pitch well, I think
(11:37):
that what you described, Dick is a strong possibility that
they just keep juggling those situations.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Well, Larry stones with us and Larry, you know, everybody
carries a in their pocket, a personal panic meter, right
that is their own and their own alone.
Speaker 6 (11:54):
Their their panic meter is not somebody else's panic meter.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
But I want to know because I was sitting at
the game today, I was talking to a buddy of
mine about Josh Naylor now Josh Naylor after he got
traded to the MS last year end of the year
with an eight thirty one OPS with the Mariners.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
Right now, on.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
The third of June, one third of the season, right
in the books, he's at six sixty two. Where does
your personal panic meter sit on Josh Naylor right now?
Speaker 4 (12:21):
Not very high. I think if you erase those first
three weeks when he was absolutely terrible, I'd like to
look at his numbers since then. I think they're pretty respectable.
I don't think that he has been as dominant and
as impactful as I thought he would be, And I'm
sure you feel the same way. But I feel like
(12:46):
he's he's going to get better, and I don't think
I think he's too good a hitter with too good
a track record to stay this way for too long.
And again, most of his numbers are due to the
fact that he was hitting about one twenty three weeks
into the season, and I think he's been pretty representative
since then.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Yeah, well, I tell you right now, last forty two games,
not including today, he's got an eight to ten OPS
and he's hitting three h nine with six home runs
and twenty three RBIs I'll sign up for that. Yeah,
this is why we have you on to explain stuff
like that.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
He was just terrible at the beginning of the year.
He couldn't hit water, that's for sure. But Larry, because
I didn't have my Twitter hacked, I was able to
go back and forth with a Twitter height over the
last couple of days on Julio Rodriguez. And you know,
I was talking about Julio and somebody bounce back with
he's this guy's gonna just evolve into a perennial forty
home run guy.
Speaker 6 (13:42):
And I thought of it.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
I was like, really, I've always just thought of Julio
as just a solid hitter with a higher average and
maybe thirty ish home runs. But do you, I mean,
do you which Julio do you see?
Speaker 6 (13:53):
Do you see that type.
Speaker 5 (13:54):
Of thirty one hundred guy or do you see a
guy that eventually is a forty home run almost every
year type guy.
Speaker 4 (14:03):
Well, I sure missed those back and forth Twitter battle
that you do it debates when I didn't have my account,
But I see him as a thirty homer perennial thirty
homer guy who in a you know, one of those
seasons that, you know, one of those seasons where everything
comes together that players have periodically could could. I don't
(14:25):
think a forty homer season is out of the realm
of possibility. But I see him as a thirty thirty
kind of guy, one hundred rbi hi on base, high slugging.
But I don't think he's a forty homer perennial guy.
I think but what we just described is an extremely
(14:47):
valuable player who could be you know, who gets MVP
votes every year. I think in three out of his
four years he's been top ten MVP, So you know
there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Well, I tell you a guy that would I like
to have a few MVP votes on his resume. It's
our guy, Russell Wilson, who announced his retirement today. Larry
was a social media clip, professionally produced three and a
half minute social media clip, which was so unbrand for him.
By the way, it was ridiculous for the argument or
(15:18):
the debate came up as Russell Wilson going to be
one day in Canton, Ohio in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 6 (15:24):
If you had a vote, would you put him in?
Speaker 4 (15:27):
Boy, I'd have to think long and heart about that.
When he left Seattle. I was sure he was going
to be a Hall of Famer, but his career just
just fizzled after that. You know, Candota had a stat
in his story today that he's seventeen and twenty seven
after being traded to Denver the rest of his career
after leaving Seattle. I think when push comes to shove,
(15:47):
I would vote for him. You know, I think he
was a top tier quarterback for ten years, won a
Super Bowl, got to two Super Bowls. I think he
was considered elite for a long time. I think i'd
still give him the Hall of Fame, but I understand
that it's going to be controversial and highly debated and
(16:10):
he may not get there. But if I had to vote,
and the NFL Hall of Fame is done in a
completely different manner than the one I do have a
vote in the baseball it's a small group of electors
who determined it, not the organization at large. So who knows.
But yeah, what do you guys think, are you supporters?
Speaker 6 (16:33):
I think we're.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
Along your lines. I think Jackson's dead on that he
could get a Bill Cower esque bump from being on CBS,
because I don't think Bill Cower's in the Hall of
Fame if he doesn't spend the last fifteen years on
television every week, right, I mean, don't you think that
this actually helps him more than watching him struggle on
the field for the last couple of years of his career.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
Yeah, I'm sure that was part of his calculus too.
I'm sure he when he's debating whether to go to
the Jets as Gino's backup or go to the DV book,
I'm sure he's thinking about his Hall of Fame chances
and maybe he will get the glow up that coward
did well.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
Not only is he seventeen and twenty seven after he
left the Seahawks. I mean, first of all, Bob ripped
that stat off from us because we had that on
the air Monday, So I'm accusing Bob of outright plagiarism
on the radio station. He also has a QBR under
forty since he left Seattle. So he has been absolutely
terrible since he left the Seahawks. But you know what
(17:33):
is his legacy here in Seattle. I mean a lot
of people don't want to give him a lot of
credit for that twenty thirteen team Larry. They want to
give the lob and the defense and Marshawn. But I mean,
how do you put a bow on Russell's legacy in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (17:46):
Well, it's a mixed legacy. You can't deny the play
on the field. I think there was some behind the
scenes things that don't reflect well on him, like you know,
rumors of him pushing to get coaches fired and and
things like that. But I think that in total, the
(18:10):
legacy is that he was he was a frontline quarterback
who was not the biggest part of their success because
that was the defense, but a big part of his
success and a big part of their success and ring
of honor for sure. But it just could have been
so much better. It just everything always seemed to be
(18:30):
difficult with him, and you know, all the the incidents
and things. It kind of it got wearisome after a while.
Speaker 6 (18:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
Now, I think you're right that when you win a
championship in your second year, it's hard to live up
to that, right. I mean, it's not like you spent
the first ten years chasing a title and then finally
got one, like like Elway did for example in Denver.
Speaker 6 (18:53):
But when you win so early, the bar is raised.
But I think all of us.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
If you would have told me when they drafted him
on draft night, this guy is gonna be number one touchdowns,
number one in yards, number one and wins and be
the starting quarterback on your first ever title team.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
I think all of us would have said, where do
we sign? Are you kidding me? All of us would
have taken that one thousand percent?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
All right, Larry, great stuff, man, Hey, start brushing up
on the World Cup.
Speaker 6 (19:17):
Next week.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
We want you to jump on the air and break
down the Egypty run game for us.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
Okay, I just remembered I have a dentist appointment that.
Speaker 6 (19:27):
Yeah, convenient. All right, man, we'll talk in a week.
Speaker 4 (19:30):
See you buddy, all right, see you guys.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
All right, Larry Stone with us on the air. Yeah,
Russell Wilson calling at quits. We'll talk about that Mariners
get beat by the Mets today. Some reactions we're gonna
hear from Dan Wilson, George Kirby, and Hey, OTAs or sorry,
mini camp, not OTA's mini camp. The real thing is
happening at the vMac. We'll discuss next on ninety three
to three KJRFM.
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