Alec Bohm Rumors, Which Infield Position is Most Important for Mariners to Fill?

Chuck and Anders break down the rumors that link the Mariners to Alec Bohm, would he be someone that improves the offense significantly? Also, which position in the infield is most important for the Mariners to address this off season?

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Stove.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
What a kind of name is that.

Speaker 3 (00:04):
Well, it's a great name and it is a great
day for another off season Mariners podcast with Anders Hurst
and me Chuck Powell. Welcome into Stove. Another episode coming
your way as we're getting ready for Winter meetings. It's
Winter meetings episode of Stove.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Yeah yeah, And you know, there's a reason we don't
call it the hot stove, as you know, a basic
baseball podcast would be named right, because sometimes it's not hot.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
Boring well, and sometimes it's not hot.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
I think it's starting to heat up a little bit now,
still not to the temperature that I need to be
to cook my the stuff that I want to eat,
but it's it's getting to the point where I could
start to kind of warm my hands on it a
little bit.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
I'm glad you brought that up first, because we did
not discuss this and I in our pre when we
were just gabbing about what we're going to discuss today.
And I do want to talk about okay with you,
because you're right, it's not quite hot yet, but we
do have you know, about five to ten signings that
are over ten million dollar contracts, and we've had about

(01:11):
three trades and not just you know, minor things. So
we've had some three about significant trades this offseason to
this point. But that's it, and that's not unusual. As
a matter of fact, the Winter meetings used to be
a haven for moves. It's not anymore. So this is
the least. I mean, I finally realize now that, jeez,

(01:33):
why do I get excited for this thing? I mean, sure,
there'll be some you know, salary MLB network coverage and
they'll be talking about baseball, and so I'll be able
to watch some live baseball shows, but they'll be one
or two moves and that's about it this week. So
it is getting slow. But man, the impatience for a

(01:55):
move and the anger over why Jerry hasn't done anything.
I don't know where you're at on this. I mean,
there is no one listening right now that loves this
stuff more than I do.

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:08):
I have zero interest in it happening soon. I just
want it done right. Yeah, So why has ever? There
have been five teams that have done anything to this point?
Why has everybody? So they just can't wait to be
angry about it. It doesn't matter if a move's been
made yet or not. There's like, there's not been a

(02:30):
single free agent that it's come off the board that
you would have wanted.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
I wouldn't have mind Blake Snell.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
Well, sure, but Heady had had Blake Snell become a may,
we're like, we already got pitching, we need hitting thirty
seven million dollars a year and another pitcher. That would
have been the reaction to it. Sure, Blake Snell is
a good player, and we would have figured out what
to do off of that move. But there's not one
guy that any Mariner fan that has come off the

(02:59):
board like, well I really wanted that guy, that guy
was perfect for our team. Well, I had a lot
a long way to go in a slow process. And
just because the Mariners haven't done anything doesn't mean you
need to climb onto the ledge or smoke your last cigarette.

Speaker 2 (03:15):
Yeah, well, I think that's funny.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
First of all, I don't think fans look at things,
and especially baseball fans, which is an increasingly regional sport.
It's not as national where you kind of pay attention
to all the news around the mL but you just see, oh,
what have the Mariners done?

Speaker 2 (03:30):
Nothing?

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Most fans up right, it's a thousand percent right, And
that's kind of just how they look at things. Why
aren't they doing anything? The team failed for two straight years.
They need to be aggressive and an urgent. There needs
to be a sense of urgency in the front office.
And while I think there is a sense of urgency
in the front office, to be honest, there's it's not
going to formulate right away.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
But I don't get any points for signing people or early. No,
you gotta do it the right way. So important for
it to get done the right way. But that's a
great explanation.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
You know.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
I'm a junkie, and that's why I think that you
should lean on us here on the Stove podcast, because
I do follow the entire league and I know how
cold and slow it is everywhere, not Anaheim. Yeah, they've
made two free agent signings and you want any of them?

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (04:18):
Okay, so yeah, we're in their same division. Are you
jealous of what Anna has picked up?

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Funny because we didn't even talk about this and we
weren't planning on it. But Anaheim getting you say, Kakuchi,
I think.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
He's about to fall off a cliff.

Speaker 3 (04:33):
I don't know. He actually was really good to get
Astros at the end of the year. And he wasn't
bad for the Blue Jays the previous year and a half.
But he's not young, I'll say.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Though he's not.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
He he was very up and down, and even with
the Astros where he that was probably his best stretch
of baseball in his entire career, the second half of
last season. But with the Blue Jays in twenty twenty
three he really struggled. And in twenty twenty two as well.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Actually, twenty twenty three was pretty good, really, Yeah. Twenty
twenty two he was. Twenty twenty two he was a disaster.
Twenty twenty three he had a nice little bounce back.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
Uh. And then and then this year he was okay
there and very good in Houston. But one thing that
we can all be sure about, we can all agree about.
He was bad here.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Yeah, I mean, although he.

Speaker 1 (05:20):
Was an All Star, yeah in twenty twenty had a
three point three o e R. Yeah, a four point
one two yr at twenty twenty three. It's a bounce
back here.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
It hasn't been terrible since coming over here, but just
not what was.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
He would be the Mariner's sixth pitcher, six or seven, seventh, No.

Speaker 3 (05:35):
You're I think you're right. Sixth he'd be a half
to car Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Uh yeah.

Speaker 1 (05:40):
So I just think it's I'm that's a total Angel signing.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
By the way, it's like, oh yeah, we got this
good picture. We finally starting to fix things for show.
Hey oh wait uh from Mike Trout. Oh wait yeah, it's.

Speaker 3 (05:55):
Been a long time since they've done anything the right way.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
So just keep at it, Angels, keep going, keep Angels in.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
And that's one last team we have to worry about,
because I think we will have to worry about the
athletics coming in the next I like, I like their team,
the Sacramento Yeah, that's weird to me to say, well,
let's just go a cuple through a couple things that
have happened, and they have have, you know, started the
stove here, maybe a nice little a match to the
fire here. Juan Soto, there has been an update on

(06:25):
his bidding process because there it is seem seeming like
a bidding war for him between three teams. Uh, and
that's the Boston Red Sox, the Toronto Blue Jays, the
New York Yankees are four teams, and the New York Mets.
It seems according to sources. I don't know how reliable

(06:46):
these are or if this is Scott Boris trying to
jack up the price a little bit.

Speaker 3 (06:49):
Which part of it?

Speaker 1 (06:51):
Oh, yeah, it seems the bidding has exceeded six hundred
million dollars. Your thoughts on the one Soto stakes, so
to speak, and it's where he's going to end up?

Speaker 3 (07:04):
Well, I think the most fascinating part about this, since
we're not really involved in it, is well, the most
part is where. But I think another fascinating part about
it is when, Yeah, because and for how much Scott
Boris has really messed up the last couple of years
a lot of his clients, and some of them have

(07:26):
left running and broke the dishes before they left the house,
you know. And so I mean you're seeing him adapt like,
I'm not going to do that to a client again.
I'm not going to wait to see if there's money
at the end, which is always what I've done in
the past, and it's worked beautifully. That's how he became
the most famous agent in the world sports agent in

(07:47):
the world. But I'm not going to do that again.
So he's already signed Blake Snell as we talked about
last week to a monster deal with the Dodgers, and
I think we're going to see Soto sign and these
the reports too either right before they're saying right before
the Winter Meetings start, which is on Sunday night, is

(08:07):
when they start to gather. I think it's gonna be Monday,
you think so. I think that Skyboro is going to
use the Winter Meetings MLB networks round the clock coverage
to sit there and remind everybody, I'm the best in
the world at this, don't you ever forget it? And
I just got Juan Soto signed to a six hundred
and twenty five million dollar deal.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
Pretty good, a good selling point for him for clients.

Speaker 3 (08:32):
So I think when is actually an interesting part of
this conversation. So that's when you know the hot stove
is lit, when the number one guy has come off
the board and the market has been set. And so
where does he end up. I've never felt he was
going to end up with the Yankees. I've always felt
that he was going to end up with the highest bidder.
The question is will he end up with the highest

(08:54):
bidder in America? Because it sounds like Toronto is going
to be the highest bidder. That's a report. As you said,
maybe that's Scott Boris leaking stories that aren't true because
that gets the Yankees to raise their price because we
don't want to face It's one thing to lose them,
it's another thing to have to face him in our
own division going forward. Just is he just greasing that wheel?

(09:18):
There's a very good possibility that that's right. But Toronto
will remember was in on showy. They were the last
team in on show A before he went to the
Los Angeles Dodgers, so what And that had nothing to
do with Boris, So that wasn't Boris making up a story.
So I think Toronto is serious. I think Boston is
really serious, and I think that the Yankees are serious,

(09:40):
but not to the degree that they're willing to go
as far as Boris is willing to go.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
Which team do you think needs him the most out
of those?

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Oh gosh, in a different way, all of them. Really,
The Red Sox need a rebirth, yeah, and they need
a face. I mean, Devers is great, but they really
they're trying to announce to the world that we're back
to being the old Red Sox again, and this is
the perfect way to do it so they desperately need him.

(10:09):
I think from a PR's perspective, the Yankees, you know,
to lose him for nothing, that would be really hard
for Yankee fans to deal with, and it would really
take a big bite out of their plans to get
back to the World Series. I think that the Blue
Jays after teasing people with Otani, I mean, they're the

(10:31):
worst team probably in this group. They really need the
boost to how good they are, and that's obviously what
he brings to the table. But I do think he's
gonna end up with the Mets. Like I said, I
think he's gonna end up with the highest offer from
an American based team, and I think that's coming from
the Mets.

Speaker 1 (10:48):
Yeah, I think in terms of which he needs him
the most, I honestly think it's the Yankees. Like that
completely changes their lineup. Remember they flavor Torres is a
free agent, and I don't think he's going back to
New York. I just Blue Jays kind of still have
a couple of pieces offensively. Plus they're not in the
same mode, win now mode as the Yankees are. I

(11:09):
think Boston same kind of thing. Like you're right, they
need to kind of re establish themselves as one of
the giants of the sport. Right, So I think in
that way, yes, they probably need him more from a
pr perspective, I think from just a pure on your
baseball team for what your team has for expectations coming
off a World Series loss, if they lost won Soto,

(11:32):
that is.

Speaker 2 (11:32):
A big, big, big loss to the New York Yankees.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
I don't think Aaron Judges we saw and the playoffs
can carry that team as much as people can expect
them to well.

Speaker 3 (11:41):
But I do. I will say this, I think it's
the if they let him go, it's not because they
don't have a plan B. And do not underestimate this
the idea of I'm not spending six hundred and fifty
million dollars on a player we have the chance to do.
We're going to try to resign him, not we have

(12:01):
we have money to spend. Yeah, then we go get Sasak,
and we get Bregman, and we get you know, and
we signed four or five guys that we can get
for the price of one Soto. So that's I don't
know if the Yankee fans would be damn near suicidal,
but the organization itself, I don't think they'd even be

(12:23):
broken hearted. I really don't. I think that. I think
they would look at it as an opportunity to we
can get a far more complete team with the same
amount of money if he doesn't sign here. But we'll see, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (12:38):
I mean I could, I could see that happening.

Speaker 1 (12:40):
I just think it's a major drop off between one
Soto and anyone else they would get and especial, no.

Speaker 3 (12:45):
Question, one for one, no question about it. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
So it's one of the top five baseball players in
the world.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
Yeah, and just it's something to watch because whoever doesn't
get him out of those those teams will have a
major blow to their plans moving forward.

Speaker 3 (13:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Another question.

Speaker 3 (13:03):
I'm glad we're going to get to figure it out early. Yes,
so the dominoes start to.

Speaker 2 (13:07):
Fall, Yes, that's and that's probably going to be the
first one to fall. I think.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
Another kind of smaller piece of news you mentioned the
Boston Red Sox ran on one Soto. They they made
a signing to a very particular left handed pitcher who
is a reliever and you know has known for his
postseason antics and fireball throwing.

Speaker 2 (13:31):
Rolldis Chaman.

Speaker 1 (13:31):
One year ten point seventy five million dollar deal to
go to the Boston Red Sox at age thirty seven.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
Yeah, your thoughts, I just say quickly.

Speaker 3 (13:39):
I mean at thirty seven years old, it's amazing that
he's still pitching at.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Such a good year last year.

Speaker 3 (13:44):
Yeah, very good year. He's still striking out more people
per innings pitch than just about anyone in the world.
And you got to give him credit because I think
there's he's a bit of a loose cannon. I don't
know if you can trust him off the field totally,
but in the weight room he is. He's a monster now. Yeah,
and so he's maintained one hundred and two hundred and

(14:04):
three hundred and four at age thirty seven. I mean,
it's it's pretty incredible. So I don't think that's a
bad signing at all. Okay, yea, I like it.

Speaker 1 (14:12):
And Red Sox have they're coming off of, you know,
having they're known for a team that has more offense,
right they have the Devers experiment, and their pitching was
probably a little lower than expected. But I think their
starting pitching was actually pretty good last year and they
need they need some bullpen help for sure. With Kenley
Jansen kind of falling off a cliff as well.

Speaker 2 (14:33):
Winter meetings Monday.

Speaker 1 (14:34):
There wasn't other little piece of news that I want
to get your thoughts on it because it kind of
transitions us into the Mariners conversation because I know this
is a Mariner's podcast, But it seems.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Like Nolan Aaronado.

Speaker 1 (14:46):
There are multiple reports saying that he is moving on
from Saint Louis. He's going to be traded. So what
are your thoughts on if a you'd want him here?
Is he still a good player? He had a very
down year offensively last year, He's kind of aging. He
makes a pretty good amount of money. What are your
thoughts on Nolan Aernada seems like the classic.

Speaker 3 (15:07):
Hitting the wall in his mid thirties great, and not
everybody does. And we've even seen examples of guys that
look like they were heading that way and bounced back
even without the use of peds. Frank Thomas comes to mind.
Everybody thought he was done. He goes to Oakland, has
another damn near MVP season, so it's not unheard of,

(15:28):
but it does kind of look like the classic decline.
This isn't just one some sharp drop off or anything.

Speaker 1 (15:33):
Else.

Speaker 3 (15:33):
This has been going on for quite some time. Cardinal
fans who love everybody. What I'm kind of getting the
sense of is they're kind of ready to move on.
He makes a lot of money, and if they can
move him in a trade, then I think they're ready
to move on from him and think about and same
thing with Goldschmidt and try to infuse a little more athleticism,

(15:55):
a little more youth into their culture. Meanwhile, aeronautoparently put
out on TikTok a video of just the song about
Dodger Blue, so it looks like he might be heading
to the Los Angeles Dodgers or he's just trying to
you know, and they can do that manifest that those
are things that the Dodgers can do. Those are the
things like twenty million dollars. Okay, we'll get you know,

(16:18):
Mariner's never going to do that. Half the league, two
thirds of the league, four fifths of the league. They're
never going to take a chance on twenty two million
dollars for a guy that, before our very eyes is
declining in his mid thirties. But the big this is
where the big market clubs clearly have the edge, is
that they can roll the dice on somebody like that,

(16:40):
and if it doesn't work out, Eh, that's okay. That
doesn't work out for the Padre for the excuse me
for the Pirates, I mean they're screwed for the next decade.

Speaker 1 (16:48):
Yeah, Yeah, Would you want him in Seattle? As we
know we need third base? If the Cardinals were willing
to eat a large n that salary, I.

Speaker 3 (17:00):
Would take him. We need a third baseman. I mean
the cutting of Rojas May said very clear, we don't
have a third baseman, so we need a third baseman there.
I would certainly prioritize others ahead of him. But there's
a really weak free agent market to have an absolute
gigantic grand canyon hole at third base. There's a really

(17:22):
weak free agent market, and it feels like the only
guy on the trade market is Alec Bohm. Yes, which
we'll get into here in a moment. Aaronado's another guy
that kind of fits into that conversation. But for an
organization that doesn't want to spend any money and has
to get creative on how they add to create such
a giant hole at such a big position, both defensively

(17:46):
and typically offensively, Man, you've really got very few balloons
to throw your dart at.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
And the other weird thing about that situation is he
actually if all this talk about deferred contracts with what
the Dodgers are doing, he actually has a deferred contract
as well with the Saint Louis Cardinals. Fifty of his
two hundred and sixty million dollars guaranteed is deferred. I
don't know for how long, but I'm curious about how

(18:15):
that works. If they were to trade him, are they
still on the books for that fifty million, or do
you the team you're trading him to has to pick
that up. That's another whole conversation with this deferrals that
are going on with all the contracts the Dodgers are signing.
But I don't know if you know anything about that.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
I don't know what is specific contract states, but I'm
guessing that the Dodgers, since they're just spending per ten
money to put together the greatest team we've ever seen,
and I don't know who they're leaving it to. I
don't know if what billionaires taking ownership of this team

(18:52):
ten years from now and taking on billions of dollars
worth of players that are no longer on the roster, right,
but that that's what they're doing and Baseball's allowing them
to do it. And I think it's garbage, but doesn't
surprise me. I mean, we'll probably find out that we'll
take on the fifty million in deferred payment. Don't worry
about that, Cardinals. And as a matter of fact, we're

(19:13):
going to defer the rest of the contract uill the
year three thousand and six.

Speaker 1 (19:19):
So I was going to kind of go into that
a little bit, but I can kind of gather your
thoughts that you're not. You don't think deferred money is
good for the space. I think it's garbage. I think
that is truly unfair. I mean, we already are operating
in a sport where there are the haves and the
have nots. Financially, it doesn't affect the game nearly as
much as what people want you to believe. But it

(19:41):
certainly is a monstrous advantage for all the big market clubs,
and that is by design. But I can live with
it because I think whoever builds their roster the best,
whether that's done cheaply or at a very high rate,
is going to win, and the postseasons the most unpredictable
postseason in our American professional leagues. So you can win

(20:06):
a championship without being one of those teams. And we've
seen that repeatedly. So that doesn't bother me. What bothers
me is then giving them another advantage, Yeah, that they're
allowed now to defer payments to some mysterious owner that's
going to buy the team ten years from now, because
there's no way that the current owner is going to
say I'm going to pay all of that money ten

(20:28):
years from now. There's no friggin way.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:30):
The only thing that I kind of push back on.
I don't think it's great, but they're the Dodgers on
the first team to do it. There's actually the twenty
nineteen Washington Nationals. There was a like multiple players on
that team had deferred contracts.

Speaker 3 (20:46):
And look how they're suffering from all of them now. Yeah,
but they the Dodgers never will You don't think they will? No, Okay,
that's the problem, right, You already have the built in
advantage and now you're using a loophole in the rules,
close damn loophole. If you sign show a Otani to
the largest contract in the history of the sport, you
have to pay him actively in the moment. That's not

(21:10):
fair to I mean, it's already on the verge of
being unfair to half of your league. The financial advantages
that the top ten markets or the top five markets
in the sport have, and now you're going to allow
them to use loopholes so that they have even more
outrageous advantages. No, close the damn loophole. Stop worrying about

(21:32):
the golden at bat and try to take care of
the goodness of your entire league and not just the
frickin Dodgers.

Speaker 2 (21:39):
Yeah, all right, let's move on.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
One more piece of news that kind of brings us
into the Mariners conversation. High Sung Kim from the Korean
League has officially been posted and teams have thirty days,
which means they can negotiate up until January third, twenty
twenty five. What are your original thoughts on this?

Speaker 2 (22:00):
Have a chance? Would you be excited if you joined?

Speaker 3 (22:02):
Yes, the Mariners have a chance. Yes, I don't know
anything about him, but I'm intrigued. I'm interested. I'm intrigued. Obviously,
the needs that the team has, second base, third base,
even shortstop for all the For those of us who
wouldn't mind JP Crawford getting moved. I think he could
play any of those positions, and at least he gives
you the flexibility to play any of those positions. I

(22:24):
think the Kims do intrigue me this offseason, and the
player profile of this guy is the sort of stuff
that the Mariners need. And then and then finally, the
last piece of that is operating in the world of
realities these this type of this type of free agent
is probably the type of free agent that you need

(22:47):
to think about as a Mariner fan. Give up the
ghost Anders, We're not getting on so doing it.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
Mariners e merge as surprise contenders.

Speaker 1 (22:58):
Right at the level power of the one Soto sweepstakes.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
I think we should discuss them all, but I just
want to on the Stove podcast just to remind everybody
of what I think realistic based on what I've learned
about this organization and in the ten years that I've
been here, one of the Kims to the Mariners makes
a lot of sense. I wouldn't even be opposed to
both of them.

Speaker 1 (23:20):
Yeah, to be honest, I don't know enough about them
to have a strong opinion either one of them. I
know more of a Ha Song Kim, the one that
played for the or the Padres the past three years.
And he's he's a fine baseball player, good defensively, had
a little bit of a breakout offensive year last year,
but those previous two years, was a below average offensive player.

Speaker 3 (23:44):
Took some time to get going right and to adapt.

Speaker 2 (23:46):
Yeah, and he's thirty years old now, so but not.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
Just a good defensive player, he's a great defense.

Speaker 1 (23:53):
Yeah, three different positions exactly, So I think he brings
value to that and that gives him a high floor
in terms of of what he brings to the team.
That's one thing about Polonco that was so tough. When
we brought him in last year. We expected him to hit.
That was his thing. And then when you don't hit
and you don't play defense and it doesn't work, you
have to bring some value to the table.

Speaker 2 (24:14):
But for a lack of a better term, it doesn't
tickle my pickle.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
Well, I mean, there's certainly a lot more out there. Yeah,
I'd rather have. Yeah, but again, trying to operate in
the world of reality, I'll put it this way. I
know you like labor Tourris. I'd rather have either of
the kims labor tourists. I think they do more to
help you win.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
Yeah, I think Glaver gives you more of an upside
in terms of more power. Yeah, and work with Perry Hill,
work on the defensive game. He's shown that he can
be a good offensive player, actually a very good, especially
for a second base position offensive player, one of the
best offensive second basements in the game. But he has

(24:54):
a low floor as well. If he doesn't hit same
kind of thing with it's a very Jorge Polonco thought.
If he doesn't hit any doesn't figure out the defensive thing,
then he's not gonna bring much.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
Yeah. And now I want Yeah, I want grit. You
know that that's a big thing for me. And man,
give me. I'll take five Japanese players and two Koreans
and I'll add them to this team because they are
going to come over here and they're going to play
with grit.

Speaker 1 (25:18):
Okay, Well, one person that I think actually has a
lot of grit and would add that to this team
would be Alec Bohm. And it just kind of emerged
today according to Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, that
the Mariners are in talks with a trade for Alec
Bohm and they aren't interested. The original offer from the Phillies,

(25:41):
but it was one of Logan Gilbert or George Kirby
for Alec Bohm one for one, and supposedly the Mariners
balked at that asking price. What are your thoughts on
Alec Bohm? What do you think of the asking price
and the Mariners not being willing to do that?

Speaker 3 (25:59):
Well, thank god, because that's insane, and you know you
know this, it's fun to discuss these rumors. We really
don't know the validity to them. Believe me. Agents give
people false information just to see how the owner reacts
on the other side, or how a fan base reacts,

(26:19):
So we don't know if there's any legitimacy to this.
We don't know if a writer was fed some false
information just to see what kind of just to gauge
what kind of reaction that they that they would get.
But that is if this is legitimate. Leave what Philadelphia said.
It would be hard to even call them back. I'd

(26:40):
be so angry. I would hang up the phone. Well,
I would say, let's talk when you want to get serious,
and I would hang up the phone and at the
risk of maybe them not calling back, but there is
I would want to be abundantly clear, I am not
trading a great picture for a good third baseman with

(27:02):
two years left on his contract.

Speaker 2 (27:03):
A great picture that is cheap. And yeah, while we
don't want that.

Speaker 1 (27:07):
To be a reason to keep someone or part of you,
it increases your value exactly.

Speaker 3 (27:13):
The less money that you make and the greater you are,
the more valuable commodity that you are on the trade market. Yes,
I mean they're saying they're not even going to trade
them no matter what. So we're certainly not going to
trade a great young pitcher with multiple years left on
his deal for a good two potentially very good.

Speaker 1 (27:32):
He's still young, yeah, yeah, and I think he had
his breakout year last year, which is why I think
the Phillies are looking to move him. He's still I mean,
he's twenty eight, so he's not like young young, but
has multiple years left in his prime supposedly.

Speaker 3 (27:47):
Yeah, and playing a corner in field position well as well,
and power age as well, and I think he is
going to hit for power. It's been very well documented
on this Stove podcast that I am interested in the
player and I think he is a good fit and
unfortunately I fear that with that gaping hole at third base,
you might have to give up more than you feel

(28:08):
comfortable giving up in order to get him, because they're
gonna take advantage of him. They're gonna take advantage of
whatever the market provides. Right, So I want the player.
I can envision him right now playing third base. But
my offer is, I'll give you Emmerson Handcock. Okay, I'll
give you Handcock. And I think that's a good offer too.

(28:30):
I think he's a good pitcher. He's got what five
years of control left going forward. This is a former
top ten pick in the draft, and he just is
lacking an opportunity. I mean, it's not like he's done
anything to, you.

Speaker 2 (28:45):
Know, to diminish his value.

Speaker 3 (28:48):
He just is in an organization that has five studs
ahead of him in the starting rotation that stayed for
the most part healthy. So that's my counter. I'm like you,
you can, you can. You've lost your fricking mind if
you think I'm trading straight up Kirby or Gilbert. Here's
where I'm thinking. I will give you Emerson Hancock, and
I think that's a good deal for you. Yeah, that's

(29:10):
that's my counter to it, so.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
In terms of value, I actually think Hancock probably still
has more than Alec Bowe. He might one for one,
but because of what you need, I think this is
a good trade for both teams. This is I think
someone doesn't strike out very much. Only had what eighty
six strikeouts, which would have been for an everyday player

(29:32):
by far the lowest on the team.

Speaker 3 (29:34):
Oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
Yeah, contacts like.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
He got five strikes in it bat based on what
we've watched exactly.

Speaker 1 (29:41):
Yeah, contact hitter, doesn't walk a ton on base percentage
isn't great three point thirty two, but he's a doubles machine.
He had a I guess said breakout year last year,
but previous to that he struggled a pretty hefty amount.
A former prospect by the way, top I think he

(30:02):
was third pick over the raft, third overall in twenty eighteen,
so that's out of college exactly. So I think he
has the tools, and he showed it last year on
a good Phillies team and had ninety seven RBIs too,
did good in big moments. Was there three or four
hitter almost every single day.

Speaker 3 (30:18):
I think he was leading the league. And runs batted
in in the at the All Star Break. Yes, he was.
He was doing everything that they were in Philadelphia was
like finally he's arrived. And then he had a bad
second half and started dating a girl from ESPN and
I and the next thing you know, they want to
get rid of him. So I don't know what happened

(30:41):
to Alec Balm down the stretch, but Phillies made it
pretty clear that they're looking to move him and upgrade
that position. So then, okay, I understand that. I get that.
I mean, you can probably afford Alex Bregman and replace him,
and he's grittier, and yeah, probably does make your team
a little bit better than what I Aleck Boehm was
and you're not worried about finances. But if you're going

(31:03):
to trade him and you're going to announce to the
world but you can't wait to get rid of him, yeah,
then you can't ask for one of the best young
pitchers in the sport, for God's sake, wake up, Philly.

Speaker 1 (31:13):
Yeah, and I'm interested you brought that up because I'll
just ask you straight up, which player on an open market?
Say they're both free agents and they both want the
same money. Alec Bohm at age twenty eight, coming off
a good year for him, not as great defensively, but

(31:35):
you know you have a little bit more of his
prime leftover. Or Alex Bragman, who has proven it like
multiple years but had a kind of more of a
down year last year offensively, still want a gold glove,
same price.

Speaker 2 (31:48):
Who do you want?

Speaker 3 (31:49):
Well, if you're saying just open market, yes, I'll take
Alex Pregnant, okay, because I think he's the better all
around player right now. I think he's got plenty of
his best years or at least very good years remaining.
And this team I'm tired of. I'm tired for the Mariner.
Here's where I am tired for you of just not

(32:11):
acting in the now. Get the better player now. So
if it's completely even and I can just we're at
the playground and I can choose which third basement I want,
then I want Alex Bregman starting for third base for
the Mariners. Though, and knowing how they operate, Bom makes
eight million dollars a year, Bregman's probably gonna get twenty
five on the free agent market minimum, So Alec Bohm

(32:34):
makes a lot more sense for the Mariners practically, and
as long as Philadelphia brings down its asking price, they've
got to be one of the teams standing in line
at the Alec Bohm store.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
I got it, Alec bohone store. I like that.

Speaker 1 (32:47):
Yeah, I think I think I choose Bregmant two. It's
hard for me to say that because I really hate him.
I hated playing against him. But he's a really good player,
there's no doubt about that.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
I think he was the most hated player on the team.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
I completely agree. I don't even hate all two that much.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
Oh, I mean, Korea is very atable, but I thought
Bregman was the guy.

Speaker 1 (33:07):
Totally agree. But he's a really good player. So that's
why I hate to play against him.

Speaker 3 (33:10):
So that leads to as we've talked about before, like
the small market at third base. So you better start
liking Bregman if he ends up in a Mariner uniform,
because there's really not a lot of excellent talent out
there on the third base market. And Anders, as we mentioned,
they have a hole. There's no getting around it. There's

(33:32):
no one else in the farm system second base. Maybe
you can solve with Ryan Bliss and Dylan Moore and
Cole Young over the course of a year, and first base,
you do have locked Lear over there. I mean, I
don't know if I was overly impressed with it, but
you do have somebody that's a top prospect. You got
nobody over at third base. And so if you only

(33:54):
have one big free agent on the market, and then
you got Alec Bohm on the trade market, Nolan Aronado,
who makes more money than you want to spend or
even we want them to spend, right Nolan Aeronado. I mean,
at that point you're looking at the Jake Bergers of
the world from Miami players of that ilk. And so
this is unless unless there's somebody out there available, like

(34:18):
Ryan McMahon's not available. Colorado has made a cleary he's
not available. So they got to find a third basement.
And this is a they've left a big hole at
probably the position with the most scarcity in the entire market.

Speaker 1 (34:30):
Yeah, at least free agent, I think most scarcity for sure.
And I think this is a big reason why the
Phillies have wanted to trade Alc Bahmas because they see that, oh,
we could probably get a lot of value for him,
because there's no one in the free agent class right now.
So that leads to the question for you if the Mariners,
because right now, technically they have a hole at first
they have a pole at second base, and they have
a hole at third base. If you could only fill

(34:52):
one of those three, he could only fill one. Now
hopefully they at least fill.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
Two of them. You have to yes, But if in
terms of importance priority, where do you think it lies.

Speaker 3 (35:05):
Well, I think it has to be third base. So
if that's what the story is suggesting, because that's the
national story, that they're third base is a bigger pri well, yeah,
because you don't have anybody to play third base, So
I guess that's going to be the priority as finding
the third baseman, and then I would go second, and
then I would go first. But I think you have

(35:28):
to have at least two of the three that are
going to be filled for a lot of reasons. Number one,
your roster needs it. Number two, your fan base is
going to demand more than just one face out there.
If you just you know, trade for Jake Berger and
then say, well we are Lockleier in bliss, Hey what

(35:50):
you are already getting destroyed by your own fan base.
So that's just that's just not going to fly from
a pr perspective or a roster perspective. So so yeah,
I would say third base is obviously the priority. Then
I'd go second, then I'd go first.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
Yeah, I would do third base priority for sure. Then
I would do first base and then second base, because
I think they it's an easier swallow for me to
fill in second base with the Bliss, the Moors, the
guys who have proven they can be good to average
ballplayers at this level.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
They don't.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
I get that's a whole almost as big as third
base as you have at first base. Yes, you have Locklear,
I guess true, he hasn't really shown much.

Speaker 2 (36:33):
Those you need.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Power and those are your impact pads. Is at the corner.

Speaker 1 (36:38):
And that's the other thing is, like, I know ty
France was one of the fan favorites here when he
was here. I can't remember the last time the Mariners
had a good, like power first baseman that.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
You could throw in the middle of your lineup that you.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
Got more value than just Okay, he's pretty average hitter,
but he plays good defense, you know, like the Evan
Whites of the world.

Speaker 3 (37:02):
Well, he was at one point better than just an
average hitter. It just he just couldn't sustain it.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
He had won half of one good year.

Speaker 3 (37:12):
It feels like he was more productive than that. But
I saw the offensive potential. But you're right, I will
agree with you on this. He wasn't a power through. Yeah,
and you and you've had Josh Rojas playing third base
for the last year, so there's no power through. So yeah,
finding power at the corner positions. And I think Alec Bohm,

(37:33):
I mean, I know he's a doubles machine in fifteen
home runs, but age power does can come along with age.
You saw him at the home run derby. He crushed balls.
I mean, he has power. I think maybe that was
one of the problems in the second half last year.
They were convincing him be a hitter first, the power

(37:56):
will come. Uh And by the end of this season
now he's getting killed for not hitting for power by
the fan base. And then he started pushing and pressing,
and then he came out of his game completely. I say,
just stick with where you're at, because I do believe
the power will come for him. I don't think here
he'll he would be a forty homer guy, but there's

(38:18):
there is a ceiling there for this guy. He was
supposed to be a thirty homer guy when he was drafted.
I think there's a thirty homer ceiling for him, but
and a fifteen homer floor. But what your sweet spot's
probably over twenty and I'll take that right over Rojas
a third.

Speaker 1 (38:34):
Yeah, and the other kind of aspect that I didn't
even think about. But in terms of getting, you know,
acquiring bats is and everyone talks about T Mobile Park
and the marine layer and what that does to hitters.
I don't know how much of that is the ballpark
versus how much of it is you're hitting philosophy. I
guess we'll find out when they change that, hopefully. But
I actually think power hitters that hit for home runs

(38:58):
aren't as effective by at T Mobile Park as the
gap to gap hitters, because if you look at like
the ballpark statistics, T Mobile Park actually has an above
average home run rate compared to the rest of the parks.
It's everything else that makes it a very pitcher's friendly park.
It has a pretty small outfield, so there's you can

(39:20):
easily cut off balls to limit singles that would normally
get through gaps and create doubles and triples. Obviously, earlier
in the year you have the marine layer, so that
does affect balls that would barely go over the fence.
But overall, if you look at the stack cast, they
say the stack cast park park factors, home runs are

(39:40):
actually something the one of the few categories where it
is a hitter friendly park. So I think that's why
Gino was successful here because that's his one source of,
you know, being fitted exactly right, so offensively. So this
is where I would be a little scared of Alec
Bohm unless he was to change his approach and be

(40:02):
more of a power hitter. As you said, it comes
with age a little bit, but that's something that that
would have to be looked into a little bit.

Speaker 3 (40:08):
I don't think I changed the approach at all. I
would just expect that once you become a good hitter
and you possess power, that's eventually you'll start hitting with power.
He's still in his twenties, and he's got still a
couple years left in his twenties before we start thinking
that there's no growth there. But you know, I think
it's a topic that doesn't get talked about enough, and

(40:30):
that is building your team to your ballpark right. So
you do it from a pitching perspective. But you know, again,
you putting that ball in play, creating more offense without
just relying on the home run from a team that
has a very difficult time, you know, getting through the
marine layer. Why are we even building our team that way.

(40:53):
Let's build our team. Let's deal a few more bases,
let's put the ball in play, let's hit more doubles
and triples, Let's do things of that nature totally. So
I don't, I don't I think that they've even constructed
the thing poorly, just sitting around, going all the way
back to Zirenza, right, just trying to hit the ball
out of the ballpark in a ballpark that's not known
for offense.

Speaker 1 (41:13):
Yeah, yeah, I And like that's that's another reason why
I think leaning into pitching is probably the way to go.
And trading away from that just to get a little
more offense that you know can or can't, may or
may not come with that is is a little risky
in my eyes. So it's something that I'm definitely keeping

(41:33):
an eye on. And I love Alec Bohm as a player,
and the other thing is he can also play first base,
so that, yeah, it's not out of the question that
you trade for Alec Boum and get another third basement.
So if you do something along those lines, I think
that's actually the best path to success for the Mariners.
If you were to sign maybe a Willia Domas if possible,
and then trade for Alec Bohm, I would feel really

(41:55):
good about that.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
Infield of an.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
Alec Bohm first base, you got, you know, your platoon,
Ryan Bliss Stilling more at second than JP it's short,
and then a Williadamis at third. I feel much better
about that. In field, I'd.

Speaker 3 (42:10):
Rather have Christian Walker at first and Alec Bohm at third.
Oh okay, but Noma's another big swing and miss guy, yeah,
who goes from a completely hitter friendly ballpark to here
struggles early, and then we got the same thing. We
spend twenty five million dollars on a guy strikes out
one hundred and seventy five times a game and his
hit in his hit six home runs with the All
Star break, and you got the same damn song being repeated.

(42:34):
So I think I'd rather have the Christian Walker, you know,
Alec Bohm combination. But you know, and that's that's even
if they decide to push push it a little bit further,
which I do fear they won't push it that far.
I do fear that you're looking at names for first, second,

(42:54):
and third base like Boom. I think that's definitely in play.
Nico Horner we now is definitely definitely in play, or
at least those are the reports. Yep. I think both
the Kims no, I know you're probably sick of hearing
about already in the stove season. I think they're both
in play. I think Walker is to me, I want

(43:14):
to believe that we're in play for that, and there
are rumors suggesting that we are. But you know, is
it going to be some sort of combination of Haisong Kim,
Alec Bohm and Carlos Santana? Is that going to be
the three pieces? And how would that go over with you?
How would that go over at the fan base? If
that's if those are the decisions, If you started next

(43:36):
offseason with Carlos Santana at first base, Hi Song Kim
at second, Crawford at short, Bom at third, I think
it's better, yeah, but it's not going to do anything
to excite people.

Speaker 2 (43:49):
Let me put it this way.

Speaker 1 (43:50):
I would feel very similar to how I felt going
into twenty twenty four about Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver.
So there leaves that ability to completely fall off, which
hopefully doesn't happen. But that's why I've wanted kind of
taking bigger swings, because.

Speaker 2 (44:09):
It leaves you more room for air.

Speaker 1 (44:11):
Obviously it's it's unrealistic at this point, and but that's
that's the main reason why.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
It's it gives you more margin for error.

Speaker 1 (44:18):
If these guys do have down years that okay, they
are not just average players, they're going to be the
worst year of their careers.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
With the case of Jorge Polanco.

Speaker 3 (44:27):
And I don't disagree with you, and I do think
that you have to air. On the side of that, yeah,
you have to air. You have to get even more offense.
I don't I don't want to play this game again
this year. This is why I'm entertaining the idea to
Castillo track. I don't want to play this game where
Jerry Justin and the group think we have We've got
just enough offense to put with our phenomenal pitching. We

(44:49):
don't need a lot. We just need to be average.
We need to be League average. I think you got
to stop playing that game. It's you know, the firecrackers
have blown up in your hands two years in a
row playing that game, and right now you're operating with
nubs out there making your decisions. So I think that's
why I would entertain trading one of the starting pitchers,

(45:10):
even though I love them, all is to give yourself
a little extra margin for error that even if they falter,
you're going from. You know, our goal is to be
a great offense, very let's say very good, let's not
even dream about very good, and then we'll settle for
above average as opposed to all we got to do

(45:30):
is be good. And then.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
It's average or below below.

Speaker 3 (45:37):
And it was average or below the previous two years.
It was atrocious this year, Yes, atrocious this year. And
that's what I mean. You've got to avoid that. I
mean you you just can't put yourself through that. Forget
if you don't care about one fan in town, if
you don't care about delivering one championship anywhere or anything,

(45:57):
don't put yourself through that. As guys drive that value
their job and want to and feel that they've done
a nice job rebuilding, don't you want to finish this
thing off. Yeah, you don't want to be remembered as
the team that. Wow, those guys were really creative and
they're rebuilds. That's your leg that's what's going to be
on your tombstone. Yeah yeah, Jerry here lies Jerry Depoto

(46:21):
creative in his rebuildings.

Speaker 1 (46:23):
Well, and I wonder now that you say that, if
that's kind of the route they're going, is I fear
because this would be still a multiple year project in
their eyes if they were to try and do the
Baltimore Oils blueprint where they didn't really take big swings
on guys except for Corbyn Burns this past year, but

(46:44):
they kind of let their prospects come into the team
and now just because they waited, they have the guys
they want, so the Cole Youngs, the Harry Fords, the
Colt Emerson's, the Las Montes. Is I wonder if they
believe in those guys so much that that's the reason
they're not necessarily taking big swings for guys right now

(47:06):
that would handcuff them down the road. Is because they
believe those guys can come up in the next couple
of years and make this a really good offense.

Speaker 3 (47:12):
You know, I'm okay with that if that's the decision
that is made, because not a lot of teams out
there have such a large portion of their team that
is great. I mean their pitching is great. So Baltimore
created great off offense. Yeah, but if you are going
to operate that way, that doesn't let you off the hook.

(47:33):
You still have to take your big swings when you
have the opportunities. Baltimore Orioles gave up a couple good prospects.
Joey Orti is going to be a good player for
the Milwaukee Brewers for years to come. They had an
opportunity to get a true ace to shore up one
of their weaknesses in Corbyn Burns. I mean Corbyn Burns
versus Mitch Garver. Think about the margin.

Speaker 2 (47:53):
For err there.

Speaker 3 (47:53):
Absolutely, even if Corbyn Burns isn't typical Corbyn Burns, he's
still going to be good.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
Yeah, which is base. I think that's exactly what happened.
He wasn't like Cy young Worthy this year. He's really good. Yeah, Yeah,
that was the that's the exact kind of thing I'm hoping.

Speaker 3 (48:07):
You've got to take those swings, yes, And if you're
not going to, then you are just wasting our time.
So if that is the way you're going to operate,
and you're gonna build it through the farm system, keep
your payroll low and try to create the sustainable winner,
then you are gonna have to sacrifice a prospect or
two every year to try to find that piece that

(48:27):
does at least get you in the playoffs. I'm not
going to hold you to the standard of winning a
World Series because I think it's such a crapshoot. But
once you get there, but you got to get in
the dance often. You should be four years in a
row right now, yeah, okay, or three years in a
row right now, three years now. I'm not gonna hold

(48:48):
it against you, the twenty one, the yeah, the Hanniger Seeger team,
but this should be you should be gunning for your
fourth this year. Yes, you should be going gunning for
your fourth playoff appearance this year. So take you got
to take your swings. Yeah, and if you're not, then
you just opened the door for more abuse. It's not
even criticism, you're getting abused at this point. You're opening

(49:10):
yourself up for more abuse. I got your back on
what you've done to make this organization competitive young, sustainable, sustainable,
and sexy. But you've got to push for those moves
or that move or two that assures you're going to
get into the playoffs, and not by the skin of
your teeth that you've got such a good offense to

(49:32):
go with your great pitching that we're talking September fifteenth,
we're figuring out what the pitching rotation is going to
be A vision win a division, and the Astros are
getting worse every year. Yes, you should be in prime
position to do that, but take your swings. I just
I don't want nibbles again. And that's what they've done
the last couple of off seasons. They've just nibbled at

(49:55):
trying to create a good enough offense to supplement right,
the starting rotation to get you into the playoffs. You
need to take a couple big swings, create at least
a very good offense and f supplementing. Let's dominate the

(50:15):
West this year. Let's win it by ten games. And
I think the potential is there to do that.

Speaker 1 (50:22):
Yeah, And I think you just highlighted what the biggest
frustration with this fan base and this front office. You
could throw in the ownership group. I don't think has
that big of a deal with it personally, but it's
that they feels like the last two years have been
completely wasted and you've had this amazing pitching corps and

(50:42):
a young, smaller group of good hitters to where you
could still go for it and not sacrifice that future
that you are planning for those guys that can come up.
I just think it's the Okay, well, we'll just wait
a couple more years before we get and then maybe
we'll luck into a playoff appearance here and there, and

(51:03):
if we do, we have the pitching to go far,
which I agree with. But you have to take advantage
of when you have that core of players and give
them that team. And I think that's the players frustration
as well. You've heard that from Cal You've heard that
from guys like Kyle Seeker, heard that from guys like
mittch Haniger as well.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
So yeah, and look, there's a phrase out there in
sports called all in. Yeah, and there is a time
to go all in. I don't want them to go
all in. I don't want them to empty the farm
system that they've put together for a short run.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Two three years, yeah, of two three.

Speaker 3 (51:37):
Years, I want it to be a sustainable product. I
think that they do have the right approach. They just
don't have finishing moves. Yes, you're good wrestlers, but I
need you to pile drive somebody every once in a while.
I need you to pin this playoff thing to the mat.
And so that's gonna There are called finishing moves and
wrestling for a reason. You're trying. You've got your you've
got them on the ropes, and then you finish them

(51:59):
off with your signature move. I need a couple of
those signature moves. That's what I need to see, and
I need to see them every offseason, not just this offseason.
I need to see it this offseason, next offseason. As
long as you've got this rotation and Julio and Cal
and this foundation, then we need strong, aggressive finishing moves
to assure playoff appearances and then we'll roll the dice

(52:20):
on the postseason. Yea. You know. Los Angeles Dodgers made
it to the World Series this year because their bullpen
pitched out of its mind against the San Diego Padres
despite all of their money. That's the only reason they
won the World Series. They silenced the hottest team in
Major League baseball with two bullpen games, and I don't
know how they did it, but that's what they did.
And so the playoffs are crapshoot, They truly are. I

(52:43):
hate you even say that about Major League Baseball, but
please just assure you yourselves in a better fashion of
getting into the playoffs and then we'll worry about the
postseason when we get there. And that's just going to
acquire a couple of aggressive moves. So go ahead. If
Young is in your montes, if they're in your mind untouchable, fine,

(53:05):
have a couple of untouchables. But they can't all be
untouchable totally. You know, you gotta be able to move
from Young Lora Emerson for the right piece, the right
big piece that gets you over the town. They play
the same damn position. Yeah, okay, celestins the same way.
You can't be in love with all three of them.
You know, if you met good looking triplets, they're not

(53:28):
going to let you love all three of them, even
if you are equally attractive. They are identical triplets. You
got to choose one that you love, and then you
got to let the other two date somebody else. Otherwise
it gets weird at family reunions. So that's that's just it.
Go ahead and protect your farm system that you worked

(53:48):
hard and did a brilliant job of building twice twice
in a very short period of time. But you've got
to pull those Orioles moves. You've got to pull that,
all right, We'll give you or Ties And who is it?
D L.

Speaker 1 (54:02):
Hall.

Speaker 3 (54:02):
Yeah for Corbyn Burns, because Corbin Burns gave the Orioles
a chance to win the World Series this year, that
move alone, because of all the great work that they
did in developing young offensive players to get that ace.
If they would add Grayson Rodriguez healthy at the time,
and they made a move at the trading deadline to
bring in some pitching help as well, they gave themselves

(54:24):
a shot at winning the World Series. But their dream
did not end prior to the playoffs. Nope, they made
it to the playoffs. They made it with ease. And
that's where this organization needs to be now and for
the next several years.

Speaker 1 (54:36):
I completely agree, and I think everyone wants them to
be the Dodgers or the Yankees or even the Astros.
Sometimes I think if they had had that same blueprint
as the Orioles where you have the young guys, your
young core come up, but you make that big move
when it's time. I think that's all all I'm asking for.
That's all I'm asking for. I'm with you, okay, I.

Speaker 3 (54:57):
Mean think that's the most harmonious moment that we've had. Yeah,
you and I therapeutic god as baseball. I am one
thousand percent with you. And if that's what Nathan Bishop
is trying to say, and if that's what the I'm
with them. I just you know it just we came
at it at different.

Speaker 2 (55:17):
Direct different angles.

Speaker 1 (55:18):
Yes, Well, before we get out of here, there is
one piece of news that actually just came through as
we're recording here, and I want to get your raw
thoughts on this as former Mets and former Yankees starting
pitcher Luis Severino has signed a three year, sixty seven.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
Million dollars deal with.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
The Sacramento Athletics, the largest deal in club history.

Speaker 3 (55:49):
That is a wow. That's wow.

Speaker 1 (55:52):
Who expected the A's to be aggressive before winter meetings?

Speaker 3 (55:56):
Huh? Who expected the A's to be aggressive before the
Mariner Yeah? That to honestly, I mean that does not
look good for John Stanton and the Mariners ownership group.
They don't even have a home.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
They probably don't for the next couple of years.

Speaker 3 (56:13):
I think the ETA for Vegas being ready, if it's
even ever ready, because Vegas doesn't even want them, I
don't think it'll ever happen, to be honest, it's a
twenty thirty I think.

Speaker 2 (56:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (56:23):
So they're in a minor league ballpark with I mean,
I think they're going to fill the park at least
for the first couple of years.

Speaker 2 (56:30):
I have a team.

Speaker 3 (56:31):
I think Sacramento's gonna be glad to have them, and
they're gonna be over the top. And they do have
a young and improving team. But for them to say
we're ready, yeah, and even though we're only going to
be bringing in a third of the people that the
Mariners can bring into their home stadium, and you know,

(56:51):
they don't have a good television deal about to say,
and you know they don't have a good radio deal,
being in limbo like they've been for years, and they're
willing to spend twenty three million dollars on him not
a very good player. I mean, I realized he's coming
off a pretty good year, But that's nobody you can
trust now, not with his injury history and his up

(57:12):
and down career that he's had as well. Yeah, and
he's never been the leader of a rotation with any success.
That's a pretty risky pick for an organization that has
never spent I mean, that is stunning. And if the
A's are going to be more aggressive than the Mariners
in the situations that they're in, boy, I hope that

(57:34):
does put pressure on them. I hope it does. I
hope that that story serves to put pressure on the
Seattle mayrior. I hope they're embarrassed to read that and
not make an aggressive move if they were sending there
all Christian Walker, but twenty four million a year and
he's thirty four. If you're not willing to go three

(57:55):
years twenty four million dollars on Christian Walker at this
point to give your self a bona fide stalwart at
first base. I know you don't like them that much,
but you're seeing my example that I'm using. If you
see that move and you're the Mariners and you're like,
we can't do it, there's no way you can look
at yourself in the mirror after seeing what Sacramento is

(58:16):
doing say we can't do that. Well, we have to
be able to do it.

Speaker 1 (58:19):
I unfortunately think their response to that internally is, oh,
they just spent you know, their domb twenty five million
dollars in Luis Severinus.

Speaker 3 (58:29):
That's why they're the A is Huh, you're probably.

Speaker 1 (58:32):
Right, So, I mean, you're right. I view it the
same way you do. It's like, wow, does I take
away the player? If they're willing to spend that money
on a player that they think, whether you think it's
just that that piece or not, a player that they
think will help their team be good for this next year,
why aren't you willing to do that? So I think

(58:53):
if that helps them get over the hump and spend
the twenty four million dollars or twenty five million dollars
on whoever, whether it's Christian Walker, whether it's a time whoever, Yeah,
I think that Alex Braignan, yeah whatever, however you want
to do that.

Speaker 2 (59:06):
I hope that's what happens.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
But I think they just see, uh, you know, our
Anlex department only gave him twelve million.

Speaker 2 (59:13):
You know, it's like that's not happening for us. That's
why they're the a's.

Speaker 3 (59:16):
You know, Yeah, we wouldn't have given him sixty seven
years three million.

Speaker 2 (59:21):
Sixty seven years three million.

Speaker 1 (59:25):
Man, I mean, he was two straight years of top
ten cy Young voting, but that was in twenty seventeen
and twenty eighteen, and.

Speaker 2 (59:31):
He had a lot of injuries. He has had a lot.

Speaker 1 (59:32):
Of injuries since then, including not playing it all during
twenty twenty.

Speaker 3 (59:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
Okay, well, I think there's a lot too. I'll look
forward to for next week during the Winter meetings. I
hope we have some news to react to. Let's let's
make some moves. Mariners, come on, give us something.

Speaker 3 (59:47):
I think we're gonna get something. I think we're gonna
get something this week. I don't think there's gonna be
a lot of Winter Meetings activity. I've kind of given
up hope on that. It's just not the way that
it's handled anymore. But I do think Juan Soto is
going to sign early. I think that's going to create
a little bit of a domino effect. And I think
the Mariners with all I mean, there's not a team
out there that's got more fire around them than the Mariners.

(01:00:10):
Every national guy that writes an article about the interesting
teams heading into Winter meetings, the Mariners are one of
their five teams that they list Hender, Jerry and plus
the poto's reputation for making moves, so I think we'll
get something by the time that we do Stove again.
I think we'll have an actual move to discuss. So
in the meantime, enjoy, enjoy the winter meetings. We'll talk

(01:00:31):
to you again next week. For andrews Hurst. My name
is Chuck Pewell. Thanks for listening to Stove Sports Radio
ninety three point three KJRFM.