December 9, 2024 • 52 mins
n this episode, we dive into the hot stove buzz surrounding the Chicago Cubs at the Winter Meetings. Will the front office pull the trigger on key moves? With Cody Bellinger, Nico Hoerner, and others rumored to be on the trade block, the Cubs are reportedly focused on acquiring starting pitching. We’ll also break down the news of Dansby Swanson’s recent surgery, what it means for the team’s offseason plans, and why building a strong bullpen is crucial. Can the Cubs assemble a reliable relief corps by Opening Day? Tune in for all this and more as we explore what’s next for the North Siders.
Subscribe: / @dingersachicagocubsfanpodc824 Talk #Cubs baseball on our facebook group: / 188995809182063 @dingercubs is presented by OnTapSportsNet.com, your go-to source for Cubs news, analysis, and updates. Follow us on social media: @Diingercubs | @OnTapSportsNet Panelists: @dingercubs | @baseball_buj | @wycoffjd23 | Follow us on Twitter: @dingercubs Follow us on Instagram: @dingercubs TikTok: @dingercubs Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dingercubs
Subscribe: / @dingersachicagocubsfanpodc824 Talk #Cubs baseball on our facebook group: / 188995809182063 @dingercubs is presented by OnTapSportsNet.com, your go-to source for Cubs news, analysis, and updates. Follow us on social media: @Diingercubs | @OnTapSportsNet Panelists: @dingercubs | @baseball_buj | @wycoffjd23 | Follow us on Twitter: @dingercubs Follow us on Instagram: @dingercubs TikTok: @dingercubs Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/dingercubs
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to the Dingers Podcast, presented to you by
Sorts Network with your host Mitch Kevin. You're ready to
talk to the Cubs.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
All I need is a bet.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Wow, y'all, I ain't believe under estimate the swing Dingers
podcast is. I'm the air, I'm your host, Mitch. I'm
here with my boys, Kevin and Jeff. The Cubs have
started the Winter Meetings off hot by potentially signing Carson Kelly.
Let's go. Is that the Winter Meetings hot stove that
(00:44):
we want cooking for the Cubs right now.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It's it's a it's a nice little little warm up pot.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
We've started some chili, We've browned up some some beef,
we've ground beef, We've added some some beans. But now
we gotta gotta let it stew off a little.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Maybe you add some chili pepper, maybe creat Maybe you
add some you know, some tomato. We gotta get you
gotta fill up the armbarn with something, so, you know,
build ourselves a chili soup or something.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I just liked that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I tried to sound like that was an awesome thing,
and Jess Space was like, wait a minute, like, was
I supposed to be excited for that. I don't even
know who Carson Kelly is.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I think.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's kind of reddish, so that kind of fits in. Uh,
it isn't a done deal yet, but news on the
street right now with the Twitter verse or x verse
or whatever, the rumors are that the Cubs are potentially
gonna sign Carson Kelly. It's been a while for us.
We haven't been on. I know, we just needed to
(01:46):
take a break after a long season, but where we'll
be back a little bit more frequent now. But since
the Winter meetings are happening right now, we wanted to
jump on and talk some Cubs because there are things
that are going to happen. This club is going to
make moves and something that Like we were talking before
(02:07):
the show, the biggest thing that I've seen the Cubs
do this offseason is they're gonna have a very new
look bench. And when you look at all the struggles
last year with guys get injured in not having a
solid bench piece, or we are having Nick Madrigal try
to play third base or just those scenarios, our bench
(02:29):
is gonna be totally different. A lot of those pieces
have yet to be added, and they're going to be
added here in the next couple months, and so that's
where I want to see us make significant, I mean
significant steps forward and securing this team because really, like
we've talked about it last season in depth, is that
(02:51):
there's not a lot of holes to fill in this lineup.
I mean, there's definite ways we could improve and get
better players, but we have guys under contract, so there's
not a lot of spaces to be able to fit
any new guys. Almost all of our position players are
are filled up under contract, so it's gonna have to
(03:14):
be done through trade. So the other way that you
can do that is making that bench better, and so
hopefully we can see Jed do that over the course
of the next couple of weeks. But the winter meetings
have been been jumping off and we had to we
got to listen to a little bit of Jed Hoyer today.
So I'm gonna play a clip of Jed and then
let's jump into a little bit of winter meetings talk.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And something we'll be focused on for the rest of
the offseason. I don't think we're done looking at at
starting pitching we have, you know, I think we have
real depth of starting pitching, which I'm excited about. You know,
whether it's Ben Brown, whether you know Wesnsky asade, you
Kate Horton hopefully in the minor leagues, and we have
Jordan Wicks. We have these guys. But I mean, I
(03:59):
think guys we watch in the playoffs like you, you
can't have enough these days, you know, and you have
to You're assuming that it used to be, Hey, can
we get two inner innings out of these four guys
and figured it out? And now this is not happening,
like so you're gonna have to piece the whole thing together.
And you know, the more arms you can have that
they can you know, there are quality arms that can
be part of that battle, the better because you can't.
(04:21):
You just can't rely on these big blocks of innings anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
So you had Jed Hoyer. They're talking about adding starting pitchers,
you already have. The Cubs sign Matthew Boyd from Cleveland,
UH pitched in Detroit, came back from injury, came back
from tiny John's surgery, pitched in eight games in the
regular season to close out the year, looked amazing, and
(04:50):
then pitched in the playoffs. And carried that success from
the end of the year into the postseason and pitched
two really solid games for Cleveland in the playoffs. And
now we have him slotted into this rotation another lefty
arm uh with with no moves being made. What are
(05:11):
your thoughts of just our rotation right now with no
more like if this was our R five we have
Steel showeda, you have boyd, you have Tyne and let's
say Javier Assad Are you confident in that starting five
to get you through the season, plus with our other
(05:34):
depth that the Hooyer talked about in that video of
a Kate Horton or Ben Brown and was Nesky filling
in if injury? Are you confident in that and that
starting five?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Yeah, as long.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
As that boy doesn't pitch like Smiley, I'm good with it.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
It's not a mad rotation. I mean it could be worse.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Scott says, that's a seventy two win.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Rotation.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
Well, yeah, if the offense is as bad as it
has been, you know, if they go through a bunch
of high and low spells, then yeah, it will be
a seventy two win season.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
If if, if this is where we ended, I think
we would really be banking on nobody getting injured to
really make that through the season, and and also putting
a lot of a lot of pressure on the offense
to actually produce probably more than five runs a game
(06:40):
to kind of hold that down, depending on how the
armbarn holds up. But I see them going out and
getting at least another pitcher, And it wouldn't surprise me
if it's a reclamation kind of project guy, as much
as we don't want that. It might be somebody who
has some upside, but they're okay cutting loose part way
through the season. If Kate Horton comes up and is
(07:00):
shoving and Ben Brown's looking good and everything like that.
But excuse me, I hope they get another one. It'd be,
you know, looking at a couple other things. I'd love
for them to make a move and maybe go get
a guy who slots in a little higher than Boyd
or interesting across the seas prospect maybe comes and joins
(07:24):
the organization.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Are you speaking of Garrett Crochet?
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Sure I am in one of them with that, So.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Garrett Crochet, it's the rumors have been out there that
Garrett Crochet is is available, and I will bring up
this tweet from Jacob Zanola said several sources and this
was a couple of days ago, so December fifth, sad,
several sources of indicate that the Chicao Cubs are currently
in active negotiations with the White Sox and Seattle Mariners,
(07:54):
which we've heard the Cubs linked to Seattle and Nico
Horner for the last two months on a potential three
team trade, which if you're gonna make a deal with Crochet,
probably that's the only way that that can be done.
Straight up, the Cubs probably aren't willing to give up
as much as the White Sox want because I've heard
(08:14):
that the price tag for Croshet is pretty high. So
it's nothing is imminent, but Winter meets, which have just started,
and Dallas could push it across the finish line. He
goes on to say, my assumption is that the South
pod gart Roche would head to Chicago with Nico to
Seattle and prospects returned for the White Sox. Other players
would be involved. It's a vague idea of framework. So
(08:36):
with that, let's say that's the deal. We give up
Nico Horner, and let's say we have to give up
maybe Kevin al Contra or maybe another top fifteen prospect,
(08:57):
and in return we get like I'm thinking Ben Brown
going maybe two or I know, we don't like it,
but Owen Casey in that trade. To be able to
get a Crochet, you're gonna have to give up something
of pretty good value. And the way that we could
(09:21):
get around having to give up Owen Casey is making
a three team trade. And that's where Seattle comes in.
Seattle wants it seems like he really wants a Nico Horner.
Would you make that trade, Jeff? Would you make that
trade and get Garrett Crochet, which is a top I
mean he power arm, throws hard could fit in as
(09:42):
a closer if you want to protect his arm, but really,
when you're making a trade like that, you want him
to be a starting pitcher. Was lights out first half
the year, struggle a little bit second half the year,
but still he slots in as a number two three
in this rotation easily. And even with a good rotation,
(10:02):
then you would have is your rotation Steel Stoda, Boyd
Tyon and then Garrett Crochet.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
As long as White Sox don't try to give us
Andrew Ben and Tende just you know, as a parting gift.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's Mitch from The Dinger's podcast. Today, i want to
talk to you about something that's truly transformed the way
that I, as a coach work with young players and
especially my own kids. I'm talking about the B four
bat app. For those who haven't heard of a B
four bat app, it is an incredible tool that lets
you track your exitvelocity, launch angle in more, all from
your iPhone. No fancy bat sensor or expensive equipment needed,
(10:44):
Just your iPhone, a tripod and you're good to go.
I use the B four bat app daily with my
son and daughter and the results have been phenomenal. It
provides valuable data and video feedback that helps fine tune
their swing. My son absolutely loves it, gets to kick
out of watching his videos of his swing and especially
enjoys tracking his exit velocity. It's like a game for
(11:06):
him trying to find that perfect launch angle to maximize
his exit velocity. For me, it's been amazing to see
how much this app has really helped improve their swings.
In that immediate feedback and data that they get are
a game changer. So if you're looking to get that
valuable data and insight for your own slugger and for
(11:27):
them to hit maybe some more dingers this season. I
highly recommend checking out before batting app. You can go
to before dot app dot com or search before batting
in the app store. Trust me, you and your kids
will love it. Now, let's get back to hitting some
more dingers, well you can. What are your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I think it's an interesting prospect because because there's a
couple of reasons why it has to be a re
team trade to make this happen, just the asking price
on crochet. But it's also interesting because this really comes
down to Seattle wants Horner but does not want to
give up their starting pitching to get him, and that's
what the Cubs want from them, And so it's an
(12:14):
interesting little like piecing these all together takes a lot,
but I could see it working and I would be
okay with it, considering the log gam we have in
the outfield right now, and maybe trying to maybe push
down instead of somebody like Owen Casey, maybe you throw
in a couple of other lower tier, not lower tier,
(12:38):
younger prospects, because we seem to have a ton of those,
and they don't always pan out. They they're good trade bait,
I think is what I've heard around or how it's
referred to. But I think that would be a fantastic
addition to our our starting rotation, Having you know, a
firearm in there amongst all those kind of control guys
(12:58):
would be would be good and fit.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
In very nicely. Do you think that? Like Jed is like, okay,
taking a look at the Brewers and how they've done
it for so long with just solid pitching and just
enough offense to get them into the playoffs, and he's
looking at this division and he's seeing now with Leea
Domas leaving the Central and going to the Giants, they
(13:24):
seeing like, oh, I could kind of mimic that, save
money and just get a really good pitching and we
can get into the playoffs. We're not gonna do any
damage in the playoffs, but we can make everybody kind
of happy, the fan base happy, and we can just
have a really good, solid pitching when I'm not willing
to spend money, but I am willing to trade assets
(13:45):
to be able to do that. Do you think that's
where he's at? Like, I don't know, Like you look
at the Brewers, The Brewers have had all the stuff,
solid pitching.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
It's like it's a complicated league and everyone's gonna try
what everybody else is doing. And I do think Jet
is feeling the heat from the fan base that they
want to see some winning, but it's not going to
be enough just to get into the playoffs and not
make a dent. There's fans out there that waited forever
(14:18):
for the season of twenty sixteen. It's been eight years
and they've missed the playoffs the last four. Like people
want to people want to see the Cubs in another
World Series.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Well, and we keep getting told it was going to
be a short rebuild, short rebuild, rebuild, just a retooling,
and it's taken forever. Is this Howyers last year?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yes, this is Hoyers last year in Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I could see this being a little bit of kind
of a lame duck push of we just have to
make the playoffs. And I can also wouldn't surprise me
if he's being told from above that he can't do
a ton because they don't want to. They don't want to,
you know, Handcuff whoever may be coming after him if
he's not extended or given another contract. So it's kind
(15:04):
of a game of Howyer wants to do enough to
make the playoffs because it helps his resume, but he
has to do it in a manner that doesn't include
any long term, big contracts, forward looking money.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
And then you have where you have Craig Counsel, who
has been pretty vocal from the get go when the
seasons got over of like no like the Brewers, Like
it's a big gap there where the Brewers are and
where we are, and we need to close that gap.
Like he's been saying, like, hey, no, I came here
to win, and I like it. I like that I
heard more passion out of out of Craig Council after
(15:40):
the season I did during the season, but like I
liked hearing it. And then like even Scott from Iowa
brings up today you hear this from Craig Council, I
expect the team to look different spectrating what it is now.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yes, Scott, that's because we're getting new unies.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
We're stepping away from the vertical pin stripes and we're
gonna get horizontals pin stripes that's before we're getting.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I like it, like total different look. I like it, Jeff.
But with that, like the other trade that I've kind
of seen out there is is this one where you
(16:30):
get Luis Castillo from the Mari Nurse in exchange for
Cody Bellinger and Nico Horner and I can't remember the
other guy. He's a shortstop minor league shortstop for Seattle
that would be in the trade. And that one you're
(16:52):
not getting an elite guy like like Garrett Crochet, but
you are getting Lou Castillo, who ben lights out. He's
been in the NL Central before, still would slot as
a top three guy in our rotation. And the fourteen
point one and the fourteen point two is the money
(17:14):
value that you would basically be in exchanging there. So
I don't know, do you think that would be a
valuable trade where you're giving up Belly where you're more
really just trying to clear cap space there as a
(17:34):
throw in, and Nico is basically the straight up for
Luis Castillo.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Well, at this point we're probably not going to get
a whole bunch for Belly, and yes, the deciding factor
that is clear up cap space, because really Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Is going to be a dh in the first baseman to.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Be I think I think there's still a lot of
value to Cody Bellinger, I think putting in with the
right team, he can help that team win a ton
of games. And so I think, like the Yankees, I
think there's a good opportunity to make a trade with
(18:19):
the Yankees with Bellinger because there's an obvious need now
and Yankees have money to spend that they didn't get
Juan Soto. Which, wait, maybe we could take a pause
and a timeout and talk about that deal, because that
deal really got the Winter meetings off and rolling a
fifteen year, seven hundred and sixty five million dollar contract.
(18:44):
I saw somebody tweet out, I too want signed a
fifteen year contract. It was full. It was a nineteen
ninety eight for a Mercury mountaineer that I'm still paying
off today. So yeah, it's it's like it it's a
crazy amount of money, and it's crazy to think that
the Yankees offered him close to the same amount and
(19:06):
he turned it down and went to the Mats. My
buddy or one of my students, he's a diary Yankee fan.
He came in and he was mad, but at the
same time he's like, still my plan, We're go go
get Santander. We're gonna go do all this Yankees like
we're gonna trade for Belly and play him at first
(19:27):
base and so like even he was like I want Belly,
Like I think Belly can add value to the Yankees
and I and I'm too, like I think you look
at Seattle. The reason what hurt Seattle last year was
they had amazing starting pitching. They didn't have any offense.
They really struggled to score runs. And it's like they
got a Rosa Did they get a Rosarina?
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Isn't that the guy we could of get out every
time when we had that series against him?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Like he's on base.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Uns NonStop.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But like yeah, so like you have like a team
that that just needs some offense, and so a Bellinger
into that might help them score some more runs. And
so I would say, like if I was Seattle and
I'm looking at my lineup, I've Cal Rowley at catcher,
(20:24):
I have JP Crawford and then field alve Rose Arena.
But really, Victor Roblace, you have Lei Rodriguez, who's their
best player? Mitch Hanniger, you have some decent guys, but
you don't have you throw in who they have at
(20:47):
first base last year was it. I don't even know
who they had at first base last year, but you
throw in a belt into that Seattle line up and
that that makes that line up a lot better. And
so if I was Seattle, I'll be I'll be thinking
(21:07):
about that now. I know the Cubs would really want
to go get like Kirby or Gilbert from their starting rotation.
Like the thing is that Seattle has a ton of arms,
and they're maybe willing to give up one of those arms.
I've heard Brian wu I don't think that's gonna happen,
but you hear these guys being thrown around, and the
(21:30):
Cubs have a guy like Nico Horner. If you throw
Nico Horner and Cody Bellinger into that Seattle lineup with
still their rotation, that's still a really good Seattle team.
And it's gonna make our team better with getting a
little bit and then it frees up a little bit
of money where we could go and spend and get
that good bench that we need or getting a bullpen
(21:53):
that we need. I'm gonna say right now, I think
it's it's very important for the Cubs to go into
the season having the bullpen figured out rather than the
last couple of years. I think that really hurt us
last year. It took us for three months to figure
(22:16):
out the bullpen and get that thing figured out. And
once that stabilized, then we started winning some ball games.
We didn't give up a whole bunch of runs in
the seventh, eighth, and ninth, and it helped us, Like
we need to go in the season having a stable,
solid bullpen. So maybe that frees up space to go
and pick up some some bullpen arms. What bullpen arms
(22:41):
would you see, Jeff.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
I'd actually like to see us get, like for sure
lockdown closer. I know there's been some talks about trying
to pick up Carlois status from the Phillies.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
I actually i'd really like Andrew Chafin. I missed that guy.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, he's been talked about brought up as a
lefty arm. Aj Mintor is another lefty arm that was
been brought up today. Pitched well for the Braves I
think two years ago. I think last year he was injured.
I'm all also heard Kyle Finnigan and Kirby Yates has
(23:26):
other potential bullpen arms that they could go after.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
There's a lot out there, but who knows what they're
gonna go after and what they're gonna actually try.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
To sign, right And I'm with you, je Jeff, I
really think a for sure closer would be a nice
thing to go into the season. We thought we had
that last year, and unfortunately as Lay it wasn't working
and then he got hurt. But I think if you
get a for sure closer, we know they're gonna sign
like five to ten guys that are on this kind
(23:58):
of rehab reclamation projects that are gonna start out at Iowa,
because you just need a million pitchers every season. But
h but so are youting a person who for sure
could do it?
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Are you not confident? And Porter Hodge is being our closer,
it would be real.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
Nice to have to have an experienced closer for him
to learn off of. I'm not saying we got to
give somebody like five years on a contract, but I
don't know, because.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
I'm confident Indge being our culser if there was guys
around him in the seventh, eighth, the ninth two when
the tough part of the batting or comes up in
the seventh and eighth, Let's say the two three four
comes up in the seventh and eighth or eighth inning,
that they have two or three guys that they could
(24:52):
throw during those innings that could lock it down.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Right, the thing is.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Enough enough arm from there so you're not always leaning
on the same people night.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
After night, burning them out by the end.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Right.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
I don't understand, Like, if you're a bullpen pitcher and
you're gonna maybe maybe see the field once every couple
of days, how can you not do your best? And
if you know you're struggling, how can I feel bad
about struggling? How mean you have like one job, go
up and get one guy out, maybe three guys out.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Scott, I'm I'm with you. I would sign Trevor Bauer.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
So fast.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The dude can pitch. The dude has done it in
every league. He would add some entertainment. He would be fun.
He would get Cubs Twitter, Cubs Blue Sky or whatever
to hate each other even more. It would it would
be very entertaining to watch Cubs fandom blow up at
(26:06):
each other over a Trevor. But you know what, he
would make that pitching staff look a lot better. He
would win us some games. We've had worse guys than
Trevor Bauer on our team. They have done a lot
worse than him, and so I would take Trevor Bauer.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I mean, we gave up who then we give up.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
Who's the Yankees player in the infield gliber Taurus. Yeah,
we gave him glaborators for a guy that beat his wife.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Who's also available in free agency right now.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
No, he signed with the with the Red Sox. Oh,
that's right, he signed or.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Chain. I was thinking the same thing. I wass state
in facts here.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Now we could add all this pitching. We could go
get Garrett Crochet, we could go get Luis Castillo, we
could make another trade to get another starting pitcher. We
could get bullpen arms. But like we've said over and
over all last year, the team is still missing a
power bat and I don't know where to get it.
(27:37):
And that's what kind of like burns you as a
Cubs fan just so much, because there you have a
guy on the market free agent, HM that is more
war than your best players combined, adds more value to
(27:59):
your team, and you're not even willing to pick up
the phone and call the dude and not pursuing at all.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Hey, Mitch, those stadium renovations were costly, Okay.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, we needed that sports book. That sports book. Yeah,
that I think will go down. I think this will
go down as like another one of those like Bryce Harper.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
No, And I think I think he people are I
think he's gun shy about like giving somebody a huge
contract and rolling like a goose egg on it. Like
how many people that actually turn into superstars and baseball
actually do it for the franchise that they were drafted by.
Like I think Wan Sodas what on his third team
(28:51):
in four years? So if Jed Hoyer is thinking he's
got something down in the farm system that's going to
be the next one Soto, he's probably crazy. The next
one Soto is probably four teams away from being the
next one Soto.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Well what do you even look at? Like the Cubs
have not signed a contract over what was the Jason
Hayward contract. That's the highest contract the Cubs have ever signed.
We're not even you. You total Haywards, you total Alfonso
Soriano's you in the next to whatever big contracts and
(29:34):
you still want equal No. One Soto deal And like
so I can't even imagine. I can't even imagine.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
We gave Lester and he can even throw the ball
over the first base.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
But I can't even imagine what it would be like
the Cubs to sign a deal like that.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Now, I'm not saying I like that deal. I actually like,
I don't think it will be great eight in the
long run. What did you say, Jeffrey, whyat won't be
a good deal?
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Because probably three or four years from now, I was
gonna find out that he's been sleeping around.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
With underage women. That's what I said.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
You're talking You're given a sixteen year contract to a
twenty nine year old.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
He'll never see the end of it.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
He's twenty six whatever, he's twenty six, and you're gonna
sign him for sixteen years and give him three quarters
of a billion dollars plus. All Right, there's gonna be
some debauchery going on. The more people make, the more
money they have, the weirder they get.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Look at things about this more money, more problems.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I just I'm looking at this like top. Even if
I go like top, I don't know, seven largest contracts
in Cubs.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Why is Scotta reading my mind?
Speaker 4 (31:02):
But like, I'm looking at this and like, yeah, Jason
Hayward is the number one, like and that was kind
of a bust and like Dansby's number two. Granted we
find out after the season that he played like with
a hernia the whole time, right yep, But.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Yeah, yeah, so that's what they meant by a core injury.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I really thought he had like a streamed of dominal muscle.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
No, it came out he had surgery on hernia or
something like that, right, yeah, But he played through it.
And he also, like I think it was a council
like let it slip, Like, yeah, he didn't tell anyone
about that until after the season, like he was just
playing through it the whole time, which I mean, he's
a team guy. He's gonna play the game.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
But this is where we need that the more you know,
graphic going across the screen right now.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I don't know. The Cubs just seem so gunshy
for large contracts while they keep getting bigger and bigger
and bigger. We're like, nah, we're not doing it. And
like you said, Mitch, you every team is not going
to have this like stream of Juan Sodo players working
their way through our system that big bat as much
as we want, you know, Matt shatt to come up
(32:28):
and smack the hell out of the ball when he
gets to the Cubs. I don't know that he's the
big bat All Star.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
He's not.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Now.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
I get like even you could have Wan Soda on
your team and still not win the World Series, like
it's baseball, and so I do understand that. But you
know what, the Dodgers did have U Shoho Tani, they
did have a freeman, they did have a mookie bats
They did like they spent the money and got good guys.
(33:01):
And it's like the Cups just don't want to spend
the money to get I mean.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
They're currently not even paying showy oh Tani right now.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
He's gonna get his check in like.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Ten years, and so I just want here we'll get
back on. Like Scott says, trade for Vladdie Bobachett, give
Toronto all the prospects, and and that that would okay
if you traded. Let's say you traded Nico Horner to
(33:37):
Seattle and you got Luis Castillo. You made that trade,
and then you trade prospects like Kevin Alcantra, Owen Casey,
you throw in one of the pictures and you get
Vladdie and Bobachette. Then you have Predes Dansby, Bobashett and
(34:01):
then Bush around the infield, put Bulboche at second base.
You still have your your core out and the outfield
with with Suzuki pca Hap you have Carson Kelly and
Miguel Maya catching him that that does that make Does
that move the needle and make your offense that much better?
(34:26):
By getting bobaschet and Vladdie there, I would say, yes,
you still need a DH, which that's where the Cubs
could still make some moves and get a DH bat
or somebody a utility guys to move around there. Would
that move them? Well? So I take it back. Vladdie
(34:47):
would maybe be your DH because you would have Bush
at first and so then you could switch them back
and forth lefty, righty, depending on who's pitching. Don't What
are your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Do you like that.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You're still getting pitching and Luis Gestio because you're still
saving Horner to make that trade with with Seattle, and
then you're using whatever to get Bob and Laddy. I'm
not as high on Bobache as I once was. I
like Vladdie. He adds the pop in the in uh
in the order.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
I think I think it looks good. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Now is Jed willing to make those moves? Do you
think Jed's gonna play three tier chess and and work
these deals with these multiple teams?
Speaker 5 (35:43):
No? I think Jed was castrated a few seasons ago
and doesn't have the balls to do anything big.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
I think I think he I think he can. I
think he can.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
He can.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
You know, think about that.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
This has got me going, like, I like thinking about this.
If if you move, let's say you get Crochet in
that deal, Let's say you do the three team trade.
The only problem I have with that is you're gonna
with if you're doing three team trade and you get
Crochet and then you make another trade and you get
(36:19):
Vladdie and Bobachet, that's gonna cost you a lot of
capital and prospects. So that's gonna deplete your farm system
quite a bit. If you don't go after Crochet and
you just go after Louis Castillo, that will take less prospects,
probably a Horner Pruss somebody else. Maybe maybe you throw
it like maybe it's Belly and Horner and you do
(36:41):
that trade straight up and you get Louise Castillo. That's
a good pitching in there with what you have with
Boyd and everybody else. And then you make that trade
and get Vladdie and Bobachett. That that shures up your
starting pitching and your offense. Then it goes back to
what I said is that they need to focus on
bullpen and you.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Could do that.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Then you would have the money because you traded Belly
to be able to go and and sign some some
free agent pitching. Is that the luck would that? Would
that get you excited for this season?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (37:19):
I would be very excited to see how that team,
how that offense would click. Adding those pieces in there
kind of protects some of our potentially weaker hitters or
hitters that have done better when they're lower in the order.
That would be a lot of fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Because I would get excited to watch Bladdie. If Bubuchet
moved over second base, you still dance be like that
team like that. That that's some pretty good offense right there.
Vladdie hitting some bombs onto Waveland. Let's go like and
you still get your pitching with the trade. You're doing
(37:57):
it through trade rather than agent. I like Luis Gusto.
He can run it up to ninety six. He has
a wicked change up. He knows that. Now Central, well.
Speaker 5 (38:09):
Okay, you what, I feel like we're gonna wish in
one hand and shit in the other, and they're gonna
read the roster off and we're not gonna most these
guys are.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yeah. Now that's the thing, Like we can wish and
hope that these things happen, and I just I don't
see them doing that. I see us making one trade
with Seattle in what and getting rid of of Nico
or Belly and then saying, well, that's good enough, and
(38:38):
in not making the one extra move like getting Gladdie
and Bo that would really push us over and make
it for a fun, exciting season. When the door is
definitely wide open, you have the Brewers that are gonna
take another step back, or what we think will take
another step back. Willie Damas is gone, the Cardinals are
I don't know who they are.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
They're looking to get rid of Aeronado.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
And so like that. That's what will make me mad
is when the doors open and the Cubs are too
too scared to walk through.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
Right, It's like there's the girl at the at school
that sides you a note that says, Hey, ask me
to prom I'll say yes, And you still don't have
the stones to do nothing about it.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
That happened to you, didn't, Jeff.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
No, I had too many notes and I couldn't decide
I picked the wrong girl.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
You see what happens choices. That's about choices.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Oh. By The Astros have also said that they're willing
to trade Cal Tucker and Framber Valdez. Could the Cubs
make a trade with them with prospects? Would you be
more interested in Matt trade or Vladdie and Boba Shak
(40:04):
Because I really like Kyle Tucker. That dude can absolutely rake.
But lefties Wrigley, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Yeah, mm hmm, you got that well out there in
right field.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
I don't know. I I kind of like Vladdie a
little better, But I'm also still gun shy about Astros
just because trash can stuff.
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Yeah, I mean, how many trash cans we're gonna go
through here on this deal?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Do you want to hear some sad news that came today?
Speaker 3 (40:38):
What's that.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Anthony Rizzo is near a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh wow, what a horror won't play for anybody.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
You immediately switched.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
What a horror You come.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Back to the Central with any other deal than the Cubs.
You're a whore.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
I like it. Pirates, Like he really wants to play baseball?
That bad?
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Speaking of speaking of Pirates, did McCutcheon retire or.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Is he he's still gonna He's like, why not?
Speaker 4 (41:17):
We saw the Pirates. The Pirates keep paying me, I'll
keep playing.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Whatever they have nobody in their farm system to play
left field, I'll play. They're begging him. I just can't
see Rizzo in black and yellow.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
I can't. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
I can't see that. It's gonna be weird.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
It would be interesting to see him come to rig
regularly the first time in a Pirate's uniform because he's
had the welcome back, that big welcome back last season everything,
And it might even be that he gets booed because
it would be like, dude, the Pirates, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
I mean, I don't want the Cubs to sign him
because I think.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
But I was like, you can come back and play
with iba Cubs, right do the player coach thing, Like,
what was it, Manny Ramirez?
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Did yeah? Take you? I totally forgot. We had many.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, I went to some games I went. I remember
going to a game and watching Bias, Chris Bryant, Manny
Ramirez as like your four, five, six batters, and I
went like that was like the whole series. It was
like those three bat I was like back to back
to back, like this is fun.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Yeah, I saw one of those that and Bias struck
out on something and just off the handle.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Like wan didn't.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
They like snapped a bat over his knee. Got ejected.
Was ticked off the entire walk because you know, the
guy walked from the dugout out through the door, the outfield,
all the way like you get to get escorted out.
It was so ticked.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
All right, Well, well we've talked to the Cubs. I
wanna end with us talking about one rule change the
MLB might be implementing. Jeffery is gonna love this.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Have you.
Speaker 5 (43:20):
You can't tag out the base dealer at second anymore.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
It's a pre bass if you steal, if you get
over halfway before the ball is thrown.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
Manford threw this out there. I know you have been
kind of Jeff been out of baseball news. But it's
called the Golden at Bat rule that anybody, at any time,
you could pick one guy on your team to get
(43:51):
in at bat in a certain like let's say ninth inning,
you're down by one and guys on first or second
and third, you can pick anybody on your team to
take that next at bat. No, So let's say, like.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
Is this a rule from that movie Basketball? Those guys
that did South.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Park or Savannah Bananas like it. Yeah, it's like the Dodgers, Like,
I mean, the Dodgers can pick anybody in their lineup.
But let's say the Yankees uh out number two for
out number two, Aaron Judge struck out, Like wait, await
(44:35):
a second, don't go back to the bench. You're gonna
bat again. They can't strike you out twice in a row.
You get another at bat. No way, there's no way.
Speaker 5 (44:46):
Can you imagine if that was in effect this fall,
and like Freddy Freeman was on second and they're like, hey,
come here, no.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Strugger on second pace?
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I actually heard about that, and I don't know,
I could not fathom a way that that actually goes through.
Like it's weird enough that they get the runner on
second in extra endings and that's become accepted, and I
totally get why there, and I even understood Manfred's explanation
the whole idea that in basketball and in football, when
(45:22):
you're down, your best players are the ones that are
actually playing to potentially get you the lead or to
you know, take control of the game. However, that's not
how baseball has ever worked. Like it's about building that
the whole team, you know, and having that that entire
cohesive unit. And yeah, if your ninth batter comes up,
(45:44):
then I guess, whoops, we didn't trade for another guy.
But then I think about like the twenty sixteen World Series.
I mean that's when, oh gosh, the shortstop for the Cubs,
Russell As he was always batting ninth to go to
lead off the net, Like, so you had lead off,
(46:05):
leadoff because Dexter Fowler was always behind him, and and
like there's a level of gamesmanship that you that you
can play their level of chess.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
But remember before the NL had the d H and
you knew when the pitcher is.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Going to get yanked.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Yeah, fuck, that's golden golden bats?
Speaker 4 (46:28):
Is it a single at bat in a game?
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Like you can do what I think he can do?
Speaker 3 (46:33):
It whoa does every player going.
Speaker 5 (46:36):
To have to have a model of their bat spray
painted gold or they get a gold colored batting helmet.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
I don't think they actually have to use a golden bat,
but that would be cool if they did.
Speaker 4 (46:47):
The man just have a golden ticket they have to
run out and throw, or a golden flag they have
to run out and throw onto the field.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Like kind of likes it. It's like think about like
if you're playing whip the ball in your backyard and
you're like, yeah, this guy like I don't know, just
like where rules don't really exist, you're just making up
things like that's kind of how it is. But same time,
this is a professional sports, like let's let's get it
together and not just like make up these wonky rules
(47:18):
that really don't fit into the actual game.
Speaker 5 (47:21):
That's something that compares nothing to baseball. But I guess
it's another professional sport, and that would be NASCAR has
changed their rules over the years to try to make
the races more exciting for people, and it's gone the
wrong way.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
What rules have they done? I'm not a NASCAR guy.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
So instead it's just racing for five hundred laps, like
you start on lap one, and if you're across the
finish line first that lap, you know, to whatever for
the five hundred miles, you're the winner. No, they have
cautions every so many laps where they got to go
in and then do a mandatory tire change or.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
This, that and the other thing.
Speaker 5 (48:05):
And then there's points they've adjusted their points, and then.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
There's a cutoff for the playoff races.
Speaker 5 (48:13):
So if you don't make the playoff races, you're not
gonna win a championship. You have to make those final
playoff races. And then it was like, if you win
a race, you're automatically in the playoff races.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
All that crap.
Speaker 5 (48:28):
They start tweaking the game of baseball.
Speaker 3 (48:30):
They might like people might not start like continue to watch.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
Well, I just think like Manford's like, hey, I've done
some pretty good things with like adding the DH and
doing this like thing that's second base that hasn't been
totally bad. What next could I do?
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Like?
Speaker 1 (48:48):
What can? I really like?
Speaker 4 (48:50):
I'd rather robo umps before that. I mean say, it
would have so many less strikeouts, but like, yeah, I know,
but there are some interesting situations. I just think I
would I would hate that whatever the rule ends up
being like if you if you golden rule that or
you golden bat, like the person you're taking the bat
(49:12):
from runs for you if you're out in the in
the field or whatever, Like, wouldn't it be great to
be that guy who has to like run out and
take your spot in second base because they don't want
you to bat.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
They want the guy out there to bat.
Speaker 4 (49:23):
Like, there's some interesting ego potentials like oh, yeah, you
suck go.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
I mean we kind of do it with a pinch runner.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
Yeah, but you almost always know when the pinch runners
coming too, because it's like, I don't know, this guy
only runs on.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
Yeah, and that doesn't it's a bench player. It's not like, hey,
this guy is actually in the game, but he's faster,
and we're gonna have like the golden cleat thing and
they get to run out there like take the place
like guy just struck out, No, we want him at
second base. They're gonna switch mhm switchies switches.
Speaker 4 (50:08):
That's oh man.
Speaker 3 (50:12):
That gets weird. Kah ah, all right, scissoring, I saw it.
Speaker 4 (50:25):
I do where Jeff was going. He started waving his fingers.
Speaker 1 (50:30):
Well, I mean, it's it's gonna be a fun week
because I do think the Cubs are going to make
some moves. I could see this winter meetings being I mean,
it's already been better than the last couple of years,
so I can see the Cubs even possibly by the
end of tonight, making a deal and training Bollinger. I
heard somebody reporting that it could possibly happen today or tomorrow.
(50:51):
So if that happens, maybe we'll be on next week
and and talk through it. I don't know, but uh,
it's gonna it's gonna be exciting to kind of see
what the Cubs do and how they piece this thing together.
And yes, I'm mad the Cubs didn't pursue Soda at all.
I don't think even if they pursued him that Soda
(51:13):
would have ended up there because the Yankees pursued him,
and they end up with the Yankees. Like, so just
think if you were the Yankees, like, but now the
Yankees have all that money to spend somewhere.
Speaker 5 (51:25):
Side note, a week from this coming Saturday, pictures and
Catchers report or two months from this Saturday.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
It's like a week.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
All right? Sweet?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
All right? Well that does that for the Dinger's podcast.
Make sure you fall us on x or Twitter or
whatever it is at Dinger Cubs Go, make sure you
file the guys on on Tap Sports Network YouTube channel.
That's where you can subscribe and catch us when we're
when we stream during this offseason, and you can check
(52:03):
out all the other great shows on Top Sports Network.
They're doing Bulls Talk, they're doing Bears Talk, which I
know nobody really wants to talk about the Bears, but
all Chicago sports is covered there on the on PAP
Sports Network YouTube channel. So thanks for listening. And that
(52:24):
does it for episode one sixty nine. Next time is
one seventy guys A good deal?
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Rizzo's a whore, all right?
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Thanks for listening to the Bears Podcast. Go Cubs
Speaker 4 (52:41):
Go, Cubs Go
You're listening to the Dingers Podcast, presented to you by
Sorts Network with your host Mitch Kevin. You're ready to
talk to the Cubs.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
All I need is a bet.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Y'all.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Wow, y'all, I ain't believe under estimate the swing Dingers
podcast is. I'm the air, I'm your host, Mitch. I'm
here with my boys, Kevin and Jeff. The Cubs have
started the Winter Meetings off hot by potentially signing Carson Kelly.
Let's go. Is that the Winter Meetings hot stove that
(00:44):
we want cooking for the Cubs right now.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
It's it's a it's a nice little little warm up pot.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
You know.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
We've started some chili, We've browned up some some beef,
we've ground beef, We've added some some beans. But now
we gotta gotta let it stew off a little.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
It.
Speaker 4 (01:00):
Maybe you add some chili pepper, maybe creat Maybe you
add some you know, some tomato. We gotta get you
gotta fill up the armbarn with something, so, you know,
build ourselves a chili soup or something.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I just liked that.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I tried to sound like that was an awesome thing,
and Jess Space was like, wait a minute, like, was
I supposed to be excited for that. I don't even
know who Carson Kelly is.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
I think.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's kind of reddish, so that kind of fits in. Uh,
it isn't a done deal yet, but news on the
street right now with the Twitter verse or x verse
or whatever, the rumors are that the Cubs are potentially
gonna sign Carson Kelly. It's been a while for us.
We haven't been on. I know, we just needed to
(01:46):
take a break after a long season, but where we'll
be back a little bit more frequent now. But since
the Winter meetings are happening right now, we wanted to
jump on and talk some Cubs because there are things
that are going to happen. This club is going to
make moves and something that Like we were talking before
(02:07):
the show, the biggest thing that I've seen the Cubs
do this offseason is they're gonna have a very new
look bench. And when you look at all the struggles
last year with guys get injured in not having a
solid bench piece, or we are having Nick Madrigal try
to play third base or just those scenarios, our bench
(02:29):
is gonna be totally different. A lot of those pieces
have yet to be added, and they're going to be
added here in the next couple months, and so that's
where I want to see us make significant, I mean
significant steps forward and securing this team because really, like
we've talked about it last season in depth, is that
(02:51):
there's not a lot of holes to fill in this lineup.
I mean, there's definite ways we could improve and get
better players, but we have guys under contract, so there's
not a lot of spaces to be able to fit
any new guys. Almost all of our position players are
are filled up under contract, so it's gonna have to
(03:14):
be done through trade. So the other way that you
can do that is making that bench better, and so
hopefully we can see Jed do that over the course
of the next couple of weeks. But the winter meetings
have been been jumping off and we had to we
got to listen to a little bit of Jed Hoyer today.
So I'm gonna play a clip of Jed and then
let's jump into a little bit of winter meetings talk.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
And something we'll be focused on for the rest of
the offseason. I don't think we're done looking at at
starting pitching we have, you know, I think we have
real depth of starting pitching, which I'm excited about. You know,
whether it's Ben Brown, whether you know Wesnsky asade, you
Kate Horton hopefully in the minor leagues, and we have
Jordan Wicks. We have these guys. But I mean, I
(03:59):
think guys we watch in the playoffs like you, you
can't have enough these days, you know, and you have
to You're assuming that it used to be, Hey, can
we get two inner innings out of these four guys
and figured it out? And now this is not happening,
like so you're gonna have to piece the whole thing together.
And you know, the more arms you can have that
they can you know, there are quality arms that can
be part of that battle, the better because you can't.
(04:21):
You just can't rely on these big blocks of innings anymore.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
So you had Jed Hoyer. They're talking about adding starting pitchers,
you already have. The Cubs sign Matthew Boyd from Cleveland,
UH pitched in Detroit, came back from injury, came back
from tiny John's surgery, pitched in eight games in the
regular season to close out the year, looked amazing, and
(04:50):
then pitched in the playoffs. And carried that success from
the end of the year into the postseason and pitched
two really solid games for Cleveland in the playoffs. And
now we have him slotted into this rotation another lefty
arm uh with with no moves being made. What are
(05:11):
your thoughts of just our rotation right now with no
more like if this was our R five we have
Steel showeda, you have boyd, you have Tyne and let's
say Javier Assad Are you confident in that starting five
to get you through the season, plus with our other
(05:34):
depth that the Hooyer talked about in that video of
a Kate Horton or Ben Brown and was Nesky filling
in if injury? Are you confident in that and that
starting five?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
Yeah, as long.
Speaker 5 (05:52):
As that boy doesn't pitch like Smiley, I'm good with it.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
It's not a mad rotation. I mean it could be worse.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
Scott says, that's a seventy two win.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Rotation.
Speaker 5 (06:07):
Well, yeah, if the offense is as bad as it
has been, you know, if they go through a bunch
of high and low spells, then yeah, it will be
a seventy two win season.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
If if, if this is where we ended, I think
we would really be banking on nobody getting injured to
really make that through the season, and and also putting
a lot of a lot of pressure on the offense
to actually produce probably more than five runs a game
(06:40):
to kind of hold that down, depending on how the
armbarn holds up. But I see them going out and
getting at least another pitcher, And it wouldn't surprise me
if it's a reclamation kind of project guy, as much
as we don't want that. It might be somebody who
has some upside, but they're okay cutting loose part way
through the season. If Kate Horton comes up and is
(07:00):
shoving and Ben Brown's looking good and everything like that.
But excuse me, I hope they get another one. It'd be,
you know, looking at a couple other things. I'd love
for them to make a move and maybe go get
a guy who slots in a little higher than Boyd
or interesting across the seas prospect maybe comes and joins
(07:24):
the organization.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
Are you speaking of Garrett Crochet?
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Sure I am in one of them with that, So.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Garrett Crochet, it's the rumors have been out there that
Garrett Crochet is is available, and I will bring up
this tweet from Jacob Zanola said several sources and this
was a couple of days ago, so December fifth, sad,
several sources of indicate that the Chicao Cubs are currently
in active negotiations with the White Sox and Seattle Mariners,
(07:54):
which we've heard the Cubs linked to Seattle and Nico
Horner for the last two months on a potential three
team trade, which if you're gonna make a deal with Crochet,
probably that's the only way that that can be done.
Straight up, the Cubs probably aren't willing to give up
as much as the White Sox want because I've heard
(08:14):
that the price tag for Croshet is pretty high. So
it's nothing is imminent, but Winter meets, which have just started,
and Dallas could push it across the finish line. He
goes on to say, my assumption is that the South
pod gart Roche would head to Chicago with Nico to
Seattle and prospects returned for the White Sox. Other players
would be involved. It's a vague idea of framework. So
(08:36):
with that, let's say that's the deal. We give up
Nico Horner, and let's say we have to give up
maybe Kevin al Contra or maybe another top fifteen prospect,
(08:57):
and in return we get like I'm thinking Ben Brown
going maybe two or I know, we don't like it,
but Owen Casey in that trade. To be able to
get a Crochet, you're gonna have to give up something
of pretty good value. And the way that we could
(09:21):
get around having to give up Owen Casey is making
a three team trade. And that's where Seattle comes in.
Seattle wants it seems like he really wants a Nico Horner.
Would you make that trade, Jeff? Would you make that
trade and get Garrett Crochet, which is a top I
mean he power arm, throws hard could fit in as
(09:42):
a closer if you want to protect his arm, but really,
when you're making a trade like that, you want him
to be a starting pitcher. Was lights out first half
the year, struggle a little bit second half the year,
but still he slots in as a number two three
in this rotation easily. And even with a good rotation,
(10:02):
then you would have is your rotation Steel Stoda, Boyd
Tyon and then Garrett Crochet.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
As long as White Sox don't try to give us
Andrew Ben and Tende just you know, as a parting gift.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
It's Mitch from The Dinger's podcast. Today, i want to
talk to you about something that's truly transformed the way
that I, as a coach work with young players and
especially my own kids. I'm talking about the B four
bat app. For those who haven't heard of a B
four bat app, it is an incredible tool that lets
you track your exitvelocity, launch angle in more, all from
your iPhone. No fancy bat sensor or expensive equipment needed,
(10:44):
Just your iPhone, a tripod and you're good to go.
I use the B four bat app daily with my
son and daughter and the results have been phenomenal. It
provides valuable data and video feedback that helps fine tune
their swing. My son absolutely loves it, gets to kick
out of watching his videos of his swing and especially
enjoys tracking his exit velocity. It's like a game for
(11:06):
him trying to find that perfect launch angle to maximize
his exit velocity. For me, it's been amazing to see
how much this app has really helped improve their swings.
In that immediate feedback and data that they get are
a game changer. So if you're looking to get that
valuable data and insight for your own slugger and for
(11:27):
them to hit maybe some more dingers this season. I
highly recommend checking out before batting app. You can go
to before dot app dot com or search before batting
in the app store. Trust me, you and your kids
will love it. Now, let's get back to hitting some
more dingers, well you can. What are your thoughts.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I think it's an interesting prospect because because there's a
couple of reasons why it has to be a re
team trade to make this happen, just the asking price
on crochet. But it's also interesting because this really comes
down to Seattle wants Horner but does not want to
give up their starting pitching to get him, and that's
what the Cubs want from them, And so it's an
(12:14):
interesting little like piecing these all together takes a lot,
but I could see it working and I would be
okay with it, considering the log gam we have in
the outfield right now, and maybe trying to maybe push
down instead of somebody like Owen Casey, maybe you throw
in a couple of other lower tier, not lower tier,
(12:38):
younger prospects, because we seem to have a ton of those,
and they don't always pan out. They they're good trade bait,
I think is what I've heard around or how it's
referred to. But I think that would be a fantastic
addition to our our starting rotation, Having you know, a
firearm in there amongst all those kind of control guys
(12:58):
would be would be good and fit.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
In very nicely. Do you think that? Like Jed is like, okay,
taking a look at the Brewers and how they've done
it for so long with just solid pitching and just
enough offense to get them into the playoffs, and he's
looking at this division and he's seeing now with Leea
Domas leaving the Central and going to the Giants, they
(13:24):
seeing like, oh, I could kind of mimic that, save
money and just get a really good pitching and we
can get into the playoffs. We're not gonna do any
damage in the playoffs, but we can make everybody kind
of happy, the fan base happy, and we can just
have a really good, solid pitching when I'm not willing
to spend money, but I am willing to trade assets
(13:45):
to be able to do that. Do you think that's
where he's at? Like, I don't know, Like you look
at the Brewers, The Brewers have had all the stuff,
solid pitching.
Speaker 5 (13:55):
It's like it's a complicated league and everyone's gonna try
what everybody else is doing. And I do think Jet
is feeling the heat from the fan base that they
want to see some winning, but it's not going to
be enough just to get into the playoffs and not
make a dent. There's fans out there that waited forever
(14:18):
for the season of twenty sixteen. It's been eight years
and they've missed the playoffs the last four. Like people
want to people want to see the Cubs in another
World Series.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Well, and we keep getting told it was going to
be a short rebuild, short rebuild, rebuild, just a retooling,
and it's taken forever. Is this Howyers last year?
Speaker 1 (14:39):
Yes, this is Hoyers last year in Yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I could see this being a little bit of kind
of a lame duck push of we just have to
make the playoffs. And I can also wouldn't surprise me
if he's being told from above that he can't do
a ton because they don't want to. They don't want to,
you know, Handcuff whoever may be coming after him if
he's not extended or given another contract. So it's kind
(15:04):
of a game of Howyer wants to do enough to
make the playoffs because it helps his resume, but he
has to do it in a manner that doesn't include
any long term, big contracts, forward looking money.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
And then you have where you have Craig Counsel, who
has been pretty vocal from the get go when the
seasons got over of like no like the Brewers, Like
it's a big gap there where the Brewers are and
where we are, and we need to close that gap.
Like he's been saying, like, hey, no, I came here
to win, and I like it. I like that I
heard more passion out of out of Craig Council after
(15:40):
the season I did during the season, but like I
liked hearing it. And then like even Scott from Iowa
brings up today you hear this from Craig Council, I
expect the team to look different spectrating what it is now.
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yes, Scott, that's because we're getting new unies.
Speaker 5 (16:00):
We're stepping away from the vertical pin stripes and we're
gonna get horizontals pin stripes that's before we're getting.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
I like it, like total different look. I like it, Jeff.
But with that, like the other trade that I've kind
of seen out there is is this one where you
(16:30):
get Luis Castillo from the Mari Nurse in exchange for
Cody Bellinger and Nico Horner and I can't remember the
other guy. He's a shortstop minor league shortstop for Seattle
that would be in the trade. And that one you're
(16:52):
not getting an elite guy like like Garrett Crochet, but
you are getting Lou Castillo, who ben lights out. He's
been in the NL Central before, still would slot as
a top three guy in our rotation. And the fourteen
point one and the fourteen point two is the money
(17:14):
value that you would basically be in exchanging there. So
I don't know, do you think that would be a
valuable trade where you're giving up Belly where you're more
really just trying to clear cap space there as a
(17:34):
throw in, and Nico is basically the straight up for
Luis Castillo.
Speaker 5 (17:42):
Well, at this point we're probably not going to get
a whole bunch for Belly, and yes, the deciding factor
that is clear up cap space, because really Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Is going to be a dh in the first baseman to.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Be I think I think there's still a lot of
value to Cody Bellinger, I think putting in with the
right team, he can help that team win a ton
of games. And so I think, like the Yankees, I
think there's a good opportunity to make a trade with
(18:19):
the Yankees with Bellinger because there's an obvious need now
and Yankees have money to spend that they didn't get
Juan Soto. Which, wait, maybe we could take a pause
and a timeout and talk about that deal, because that
deal really got the Winter meetings off and rolling a
fifteen year, seven hundred and sixty five million dollar contract.
(18:44):
I saw somebody tweet out, I too want signed a
fifteen year contract. It was full. It was a nineteen
ninety eight for a Mercury mountaineer that I'm still paying
off today. So yeah, it's it's like it it's a
crazy amount of money, and it's crazy to think that
the Yankees offered him close to the same amount and
(19:06):
he turned it down and went to the Mats. My
buddy or one of my students, he's a diary Yankee fan.
He came in and he was mad, but at the
same time he's like, still my plan, We're go go
get Santander. We're gonna go do all this Yankees like
we're gonna trade for Belly and play him at first
(19:27):
base and so like even he was like I want Belly,
Like I think Belly can add value to the Yankees
and I and I'm too, like I think you look
at Seattle. The reason what hurt Seattle last year was
they had amazing starting pitching. They didn't have any offense.
They really struggled to score runs. And it's like they
got a Rosa Did they get a Rosarina?
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (19:51):
Isn't that the guy we could of get out every
time when we had that series against him?
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Like he's on base.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
Uns NonStop.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But like yeah, so like you have like a team
that that just needs some offense, and so a Bellinger
into that might help them score some more runs. And
so I would say, like if I was Seattle and
I'm looking at my lineup, I've Cal Rowley at catcher,
(20:24):
I have JP Crawford and then field alve Rose Arena.
But really, Victor Roblace, you have Lei Rodriguez, who's their
best player? Mitch Hanniger, you have some decent guys, but
you don't have you throw in who they have at
(20:47):
first base last year was it. I don't even know
who they had at first base last year, but you
throw in a belt into that Seattle line up and
that that makes that line up a lot better. And
so if I was Seattle, I'll be I'll be thinking
(21:07):
about that now. I know the Cubs would really want
to go get like Kirby or Gilbert from their starting rotation.
Like the thing is that Seattle has a ton of arms,
and they're maybe willing to give up one of those arms.
I've heard Brian wu I don't think that's gonna happen,
but you hear these guys being thrown around, and the
(21:30):
Cubs have a guy like Nico Horner. If you throw
Nico Horner and Cody Bellinger into that Seattle lineup with
still their rotation, that's still a really good Seattle team.
And it's gonna make our team better with getting a
little bit and then it frees up a little bit
of money where we could go and spend and get
that good bench that we need or getting a bullpen
(21:53):
that we need. I'm gonna say right now, I think
it's it's very important for the Cubs to go into
the season having the bullpen figured out rather than the
last couple of years. I think that really hurt us
last year. It took us for three months to figure
(22:16):
out the bullpen and get that thing figured out. And
once that stabilized, then we started winning some ball games.
We didn't give up a whole bunch of runs in
the seventh, eighth, and ninth, and it helped us, Like
we need to go in the season having a stable,
solid bullpen. So maybe that frees up space to go
and pick up some some bullpen arms. What bullpen arms
(22:41):
would you see, Jeff.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
I'd actually like to see us get, like for sure
lockdown closer. I know there's been some talks about trying
to pick up Carlois status from the Phillies.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
I actually i'd really like Andrew Chafin. I missed that guy.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
Yeah, yeah, he's been talked about brought up as a
lefty arm. Aj Mintor is another lefty arm that was
been brought up today. Pitched well for the Braves I
think two years ago. I think last year he was injured.
I'm all also heard Kyle Finnigan and Kirby Yates has
(23:26):
other potential bullpen arms that they could go after.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
There's a lot out there, but who knows what they're
gonna go after and what they're gonna actually try.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
To sign, right And I'm with you, je Jeff, I
really think a for sure closer would be a nice
thing to go into the season. We thought we had
that last year, and unfortunately as Lay it wasn't working
and then he got hurt. But I think if you
get a for sure closer, we know they're gonna sign
like five to ten guys that are on this kind
(23:58):
of rehab reclamation projects that are gonna start out at Iowa,
because you just need a million pitchers every season. But
h but so are youting a person who for sure
could do it?
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Are you not confident? And Porter Hodge is being our closer,
it would be real.
Speaker 4 (24:20):
Nice to have to have an experienced closer for him
to learn off of. I'm not saying we got to
give somebody like five years on a contract, but I
don't know, because.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
I'm confident Indge being our culser if there was guys
around him in the seventh, eighth, the ninth two when
the tough part of the batting or comes up in
the seventh and eighth, Let's say the two three four
comes up in the seventh and eighth or eighth inning,
that they have two or three guys that they could
(24:52):
throw during those innings that could lock it down.
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Right, the thing is.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Enough enough arm from there so you're not always leaning
on the same people night.
Speaker 1 (25:08):
After night, burning them out by the end.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
Right.
Speaker 5 (25:11):
I don't understand, Like, if you're a bullpen pitcher and
you're gonna maybe maybe see the field once every couple
of days, how can you not do your best? And
if you know you're struggling, how can I feel bad
about struggling? How mean you have like one job, go
up and get one guy out, maybe three guys out.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Scott, I'm I'm with you. I would sign Trevor Bauer.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
So fast.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The dude can pitch. The dude has done it in
every league. He would add some entertainment. He would be fun.
He would get Cubs Twitter, Cubs Blue Sky or whatever
to hate each other even more. It would it would
be very entertaining to watch Cubs fandom blow up at
(26:06):
each other over a Trevor. But you know what, he
would make that pitching staff look a lot better. He
would win us some games. We've had worse guys than
Trevor Bauer on our team. They have done a lot
worse than him, and so I would take Trevor Bauer.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
I mean, we gave up who then we give up.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
Who's the Yankees player in the infield gliber Taurus. Yeah,
we gave him glaborators for a guy that beat his wife.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Who's also available in free agency right now.
Speaker 1 (26:49):
No, he signed with the with the Red Sox. Oh,
that's right, he signed or.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
Chain. I was thinking the same thing. I wass state
in facts here.
Speaker 1 (27:11):
Now we could add all this pitching. We could go
get Garrett Crochet, we could go get Luis Castillo, we
could make another trade to get another starting pitcher. We
could get bullpen arms. But like we've said over and
over all last year, the team is still missing a
power bat and I don't know where to get it.
(27:37):
And that's what kind of like burns you as a
Cubs fan just so much, because there you have a
guy on the market free agent, HM that is more
war than your best players combined, adds more value to
(27:59):
your team, and you're not even willing to pick up
the phone and call the dude and not pursuing at all.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
Hey, Mitch, those stadium renovations were costly, Okay.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, we needed that sports book. That sports book. Yeah,
that I think will go down. I think this will
go down as like another one of those like Bryce Harper.
Speaker 5 (28:30):
No, And I think I think he people are I
think he's gun shy about like giving somebody a huge
contract and rolling like a goose egg on it. Like
how many people that actually turn into superstars and baseball
actually do it for the franchise that they were drafted by.
Like I think Wan Sodas what on his third team
(28:51):
in four years? So if Jed Hoyer is thinking he's
got something down in the farm system that's going to
be the next one Soto, he's probably crazy. The next
one Soto is probably four teams away from being the
next one Soto.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
Well what do you even look at? Like the Cubs
have not signed a contract over what was the Jason
Hayward contract. That's the highest contract the Cubs have ever signed.
We're not even you. You total Haywards, you total Alfonso
Soriano's you in the next to whatever big contracts and
(29:34):
you still want equal No. One Soto deal And like
so I can't even imagine. I can't even imagine.
Speaker 3 (29:42):
We gave Lester and he can even throw the ball
over the first base.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
But I can't even imagine what it would be like
the Cubs to sign a deal like that.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
I know.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
Now, I'm not saying I like that deal. I actually like,
I don't think it will be great eight in the
long run. What did you say, Jeffrey, whyat won't be
a good deal?
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (30:07):
Because probably three or four years from now, I was
gonna find out that he's been sleeping around.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
With underage women. That's what I said.
Speaker 5 (30:15):
You're talking You're given a sixteen year contract to a
twenty nine year old.
Speaker 3 (30:22):
He'll never see the end of it.
Speaker 5 (30:24):
He's twenty six whatever, he's twenty six, and you're gonna
sign him for sixteen years and give him three quarters
of a billion dollars plus. All Right, there's gonna be
some debauchery going on. The more people make, the more
money they have, the weirder they get.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Look at things about this more money, more problems.
Speaker 1 (30:49):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (30:50):
I just I'm looking at this like top. Even if
I go like top, I don't know, seven largest contracts
in Cubs.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
Why is Scotta reading my mind?
Speaker 4 (31:02):
But like, I'm looking at this and like, yeah, Jason
Hayward is the number one, like and that was kind
of a bust and like Dansby's number two. Granted we
find out after the season that he played like with
a hernia the whole time, right yep, But.
Speaker 5 (31:24):
Yeah, yeah, so that's what they meant by a core injury.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
I really thought he had like a streamed of dominal muscle.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
No, it came out he had surgery on hernia or
something like that, right, yeah, But he played through it.
And he also, like I think it was a council
like let it slip, Like, yeah, he didn't tell anyone
about that until after the season, like he was just
playing through it the whole time, which I mean, he's
a team guy. He's gonna play the game.
Speaker 5 (31:58):
But this is where we need that the more you know,
graphic going across the screen right now.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
Yeah, I don't know. The Cubs just seem so gunshy
for large contracts while they keep getting bigger and bigger
and bigger. We're like, nah, we're not doing it. And
like you said, Mitch, you every team is not going
to have this like stream of Juan Sodo players working
their way through our system that big bat as much
as we want, you know, Matt shatt to come up
(32:28):
and smack the hell out of the ball when he
gets to the Cubs. I don't know that he's the
big bat All Star.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
He's not.
Speaker 3 (32:38):
Now.
Speaker 1 (32:38):
I get like even you could have Wan Soda on
your team and still not win the World Series, like
it's baseball, and so I do understand that. But you
know what, the Dodgers did have U Shoho Tani, they
did have a freeman, they did have a mookie bats
They did like they spent the money and got good guys.
(33:01):
And it's like the Cups just don't want to spend
the money to get I mean.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
They're currently not even paying showy oh Tani right now.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
He's gonna get his check in like.
Speaker 1 (33:13):
Ten years, and so I just want here we'll get
back on. Like Scott says, trade for Vladdie Bobachett, give
Toronto all the prospects, and and that that would okay
if you traded. Let's say you traded Nico Horner to
(33:37):
Seattle and you got Luis Castillo. You made that trade,
and then you trade prospects like Kevin Alcantra, Owen Casey,
you throw in one of the pictures and you get
Vladdie and Bobachette. Then you have Predes Dansby, Bobashett and
(34:01):
then Bush around the infield, put Bulboche at second base.
You still have your your core out and the outfield
with with Suzuki pca Hap you have Carson Kelly and
Miguel Maya catching him that that does that make Does
that move the needle and make your offense that much better?
(34:26):
By getting bobaschet and Vladdie there, I would say, yes,
you still need a DH, which that's where the Cubs
could still make some moves and get a DH bat
or somebody a utility guys to move around there. Would
that move them? Well? So I take it back. Vladdie
(34:47):
would maybe be your DH because you would have Bush
at first and so then you could switch them back
and forth lefty, righty, depending on who's pitching. Don't What
are your thoughts?
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Do you like that.
Speaker 1 (35:02):
You're still getting pitching and Luis Gestio because you're still
saving Horner to make that trade with with Seattle, and
then you're using whatever to get Bob and Laddy. I'm
not as high on Bobache as I once was. I
like Vladdie. He adds the pop in the in uh
in the order.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
I think I think it looks good. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
Now is Jed willing to make those moves? Do you
think Jed's gonna play three tier chess and and work
these deals with these multiple teams?
Speaker 5 (35:43):
No? I think Jed was castrated a few seasons ago
and doesn't have the balls to do anything big.
Speaker 3 (35:50):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (35:50):
I think I think he I think he can. I
think he can.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
He can.
Speaker 4 (35:54):
You know, think about that.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
This has got me going, like, I like thinking about this.
If if you move, let's say you get Crochet in
that deal, Let's say you do the three team trade.
The only problem I have with that is you're gonna
with if you're doing three team trade and you get
Crochet and then you make another trade and you get
(36:19):
Vladdie and Bobachet, that's gonna cost you a lot of
capital and prospects. So that's gonna deplete your farm system
quite a bit. If you don't go after Crochet and
you just go after Louis Castillo, that will take less prospects,
probably a Horner Pruss somebody else. Maybe maybe you throw
it like maybe it's Belly and Horner and you do
(36:41):
that trade straight up and you get Louise Castillo. That's
a good pitching in there with what you have with
Boyd and everybody else. And then you make that trade
and get Vladdie and Bobachett. That that shures up your
starting pitching and your offense. Then it goes back to
what I said is that they need to focus on
bullpen and you.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Could do that.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
Then you would have the money because you traded Belly
to be able to go and and sign some some
free agent pitching. Is that the luck would that? Would
that get you excited for this season?
Speaker 3 (37:18):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (37:19):
I would be very excited to see how that team,
how that offense would click. Adding those pieces in there
kind of protects some of our potentially weaker hitters or
hitters that have done better when they're lower in the order.
That would be a lot of fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (37:36):
Because I would get excited to watch Bladdie. If Bubuchet
moved over second base, you still dance be like that
team like that. That that's some pretty good offense right there.
Vladdie hitting some bombs onto Waveland. Let's go like and
you still get your pitching with the trade. You're doing
(37:57):
it through trade rather than agent. I like Luis Gusto.
He can run it up to ninety six. He has
a wicked change up. He knows that. Now Central, well.
Speaker 5 (38:09):
Okay, you what, I feel like we're gonna wish in
one hand and shit in the other, and they're gonna
read the roster off and we're not gonna most these
guys are.
Speaker 1 (38:18):
Yeah. Now that's the thing, Like we can wish and
hope that these things happen, and I just I don't
see them doing that. I see us making one trade
with Seattle in what and getting rid of of Nico
or Belly and then saying, well, that's good enough, and
(38:38):
in not making the one extra move like getting Gladdie
and Bo that would really push us over and make
it for a fun, exciting season. When the door is
definitely wide open, you have the Brewers that are gonna
take another step back, or what we think will take
another step back. Willie Damas is gone, the Cardinals are
I don't know who they are.
Speaker 3 (38:59):
They're looking to get rid of Aeronado.
Speaker 1 (39:02):
And so like that. That's what will make me mad
is when the doors open and the Cubs are too
too scared to walk through.
Speaker 5 (39:13):
Right, It's like there's the girl at the at school
that sides you a note that says, Hey, ask me
to prom I'll say yes, And you still don't have
the stones to do nothing about it.
Speaker 1 (39:27):
That happened to you, didn't, Jeff.
Speaker 5 (39:29):
No, I had too many notes and I couldn't decide
I picked the wrong girl.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
You see what happens choices. That's about choices.
Speaker 1 (39:44):
Oh. By The Astros have also said that they're willing
to trade Cal Tucker and Framber Valdez. Could the Cubs
make a trade with them with prospects? Would you be
more interested in Matt trade or Vladdie and Boba Shak
(40:04):
Because I really like Kyle Tucker. That dude can absolutely rake.
But lefties Wrigley, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
Yeah, mm hmm, you got that well out there in
right field.
Speaker 4 (40:22):
I don't know. I I kind of like Vladdie a
little better, But I'm also still gun shy about Astros
just because trash can stuff.
Speaker 5 (40:31):
Yeah, I mean, how many trash cans we're gonna go
through here on this deal?
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Do you want to hear some sad news that came today?
Speaker 3 (40:38):
What's that.
Speaker 1 (40:40):
Anthony Rizzo is near a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Speaker 3 (40:45):
Oh wow, what a horror won't play for anybody.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
You immediately switched.
Speaker 4 (40:54):
What a horror You come.
Speaker 1 (40:57):
Back to the Central with any other deal than the Cubs.
You're a whore.
Speaker 3 (41:00):
I like it. Pirates, Like he really wants to play baseball?
That bad?
Speaker 4 (41:10):
Speaking of speaking of Pirates, did McCutcheon retire or.
Speaker 1 (41:13):
Is he he's still gonna He's like, why not?
Speaker 4 (41:17):
We saw the Pirates. The Pirates keep paying me, I'll
keep playing.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
Whatever they have nobody in their farm system to play
left field, I'll play. They're begging him. I just can't
see Rizzo in black and yellow.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
I can't. I don't think.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
I can't see that. It's gonna be weird.
Speaker 4 (41:41):
It would be interesting to see him come to rig
regularly the first time in a Pirate's uniform because he's
had the welcome back, that big welcome back last season everything,
And it might even be that he gets booed because
it would be like, dude, the Pirates, come on, come on.
Speaker 1 (41:59):
I mean, I don't want the Cubs to sign him
because I think.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
But I was like, you can come back and play
with iba Cubs, right do the player coach thing, Like,
what was it, Manny Ramirez?
Speaker 3 (42:10):
Did yeah? Take you? I totally forgot. We had many.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
Yeah, I went to some games I went. I remember
going to a game and watching Bias, Chris Bryant, Manny
Ramirez as like your four, five, six batters, and I
went like that was like the whole series. It was
like those three bat I was like back to back
to back, like this is fun.
Speaker 4 (42:43):
Yeah, I saw one of those that and Bias struck
out on something and just off the handle.
Speaker 1 (42:49):
Like wan didn't.
Speaker 4 (42:50):
They like snapped a bat over his knee. Got ejected.
Was ticked off the entire walk because you know, the
guy walked from the dugout out through the door, the outfield,
all the way like you get to get escorted out.
It was so ticked.
Speaker 1 (43:07):
All right, Well, well we've talked to the Cubs. I
wanna end with us talking about one rule change the
MLB might be implementing. Jeffery is gonna love this.
Speaker 3 (43:18):
Have you.
Speaker 5 (43:20):
You can't tag out the base dealer at second anymore.
Speaker 4 (43:25):
It's a pre bass if you steal, if you get
over halfway before the ball is thrown.
Speaker 1 (43:30):
Manford threw this out there. I know you have been
kind of Jeff been out of baseball news. But it's
called the Golden at Bat rule that anybody, at any time,
you could pick one guy on your team to get
(43:51):
in at bat in a certain like let's say ninth inning,
you're down by one and guys on first or second
and third, you can pick anybody on your team to
take that next at bat. No, So let's say, like.
Speaker 3 (44:10):
Is this a rule from that movie Basketball? Those guys
that did South.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Park or Savannah Bananas like it. Yeah, it's like the Dodgers, Like,
I mean, the Dodgers can pick anybody in their lineup.
But let's say the Yankees uh out number two for
out number two, Aaron Judge struck out, Like wait, await
(44:35):
a second, don't go back to the bench. You're gonna
bat again. They can't strike you out twice in a row.
You get another at bat. No way, there's no way.
Speaker 5 (44:46):
Can you imagine if that was in effect this fall,
and like Freddy Freeman was on second and they're like, hey,
come here, no.
Speaker 1 (44:54):
Strugger on second pace?
Speaker 4 (45:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I actually heard about that, and I don't know,
I could not fathom a way that that actually goes through.
Like it's weird enough that they get the runner on
second in extra endings and that's become accepted, and I
totally get why there, and I even understood Manfred's explanation
the whole idea that in basketball and in football, when
(45:22):
you're down, your best players are the ones that are
actually playing to potentially get you the lead or to
you know, take control of the game. However, that's not
how baseball has ever worked. Like it's about building that
the whole team, you know, and having that that entire
cohesive unit. And yeah, if your ninth batter comes up,
(45:44):
then I guess, whoops, we didn't trade for another guy.
But then I think about like the twenty sixteen World Series.
I mean that's when, oh gosh, the shortstop for the Cubs,
Russell As he was always batting ninth to go to
lead off the net, Like, so you had lead off,
(46:05):
leadoff because Dexter Fowler was always behind him, and and
like there's a level of gamesmanship that you that you
can play their level of chess.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
But remember before the NL had the d H and
you knew when the pitcher is.
Speaker 3 (46:18):
Going to get yanked.
Speaker 5 (46:20):
Yeah, fuck, that's golden golden bats?
Speaker 4 (46:28):
Is it a single at bat in a game?
Speaker 1 (46:31):
Like you can do what I think he can do?
Speaker 3 (46:33):
It whoa does every player going.
Speaker 5 (46:36):
To have to have a model of their bat spray
painted gold or they get a gold colored batting helmet.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
I don't think they actually have to use a golden bat,
but that would be cool if they did.
Speaker 4 (46:47):
The man just have a golden ticket they have to
run out and throw, or a golden flag they have
to run out and throw onto the field.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Like kind of likes it. It's like think about like
if you're playing whip the ball in your backyard and
you're like, yeah, this guy like I don't know, just
like where rules don't really exist, you're just making up
things like that's kind of how it is. But same time,
this is a professional sports, like let's let's get it
together and not just like make up these wonky rules
(47:18):
that really don't fit into the actual game.
Speaker 5 (47:21):
That's something that compares nothing to baseball. But I guess
it's another professional sport, and that would be NASCAR has
changed their rules over the years to try to make
the races more exciting for people, and it's gone the
wrong way.
Speaker 1 (47:42):
What rules have they done? I'm not a NASCAR guy.
Speaker 5 (47:44):
So instead it's just racing for five hundred laps, like
you start on lap one, and if you're across the
finish line first that lap, you know, to whatever for
the five hundred miles, you're the winner. No, they have
cautions every so many laps where they got to go
in and then do a mandatory tire change or.
Speaker 3 (48:03):
This, that and the other thing.
Speaker 5 (48:05):
And then there's points they've adjusted their points, and then.
Speaker 3 (48:10):
There's a cutoff for the playoff races.
Speaker 5 (48:13):
So if you don't make the playoff races, you're not
gonna win a championship. You have to make those final
playoff races. And then it was like, if you win
a race, you're automatically in the playoff races.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
All that crap.
Speaker 5 (48:28):
They start tweaking the game of baseball.
Speaker 3 (48:30):
They might like people might not start like continue to watch.
Speaker 1 (48:37):
Well, I just think like Manford's like, hey, I've done
some pretty good things with like adding the DH and
doing this like thing that's second base that hasn't been
totally bad. What next could I do?
Speaker 3 (48:48):
Like?
Speaker 1 (48:48):
What can? I really like?
Speaker 4 (48:50):
I'd rather robo umps before that. I mean say, it
would have so many less strikeouts, but like, yeah, I know,
but there are some interesting situations. I just think I
would I would hate that whatever the rule ends up
being like if you if you golden rule that or
you golden bat, like the person you're taking the bat
(49:12):
from runs for you if you're out in the in
the field or whatever, Like, wouldn't it be great to
be that guy who has to like run out and
take your spot in second base because they don't want
you to bat.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
They want the guy out there to bat.
Speaker 4 (49:23):
Like, there's some interesting ego potentials like oh, yeah, you
suck go.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
I mean we kind of do it with a pinch runner.
Speaker 4 (49:35):
Yeah, but you almost always know when the pinch runners
coming too, because it's like, I don't know, this guy
only runs on.
Speaker 1 (49:42):
Yeah, and that doesn't it's a bench player. It's not like, hey,
this guy is actually in the game, but he's faster,
and we're gonna have like the golden cleat thing and
they get to run out there like take the place
like guy just struck out, No, we want him at
second base. They're gonna switch mhm switchies switches.
Speaker 4 (50:08):
That's oh man.
Speaker 3 (50:12):
That gets weird. Kah ah, all right, scissoring, I saw it.
Speaker 4 (50:25):
I do where Jeff was going. He started waving his fingers.
Speaker 1 (50:30):
Well, I mean, it's it's gonna be a fun week
because I do think the Cubs are going to make
some moves. I could see this winter meetings being I mean,
it's already been better than the last couple of years,
so I can see the Cubs even possibly by the
end of tonight, making a deal and training Bollinger. I
heard somebody reporting that it could possibly happen today or tomorrow.
(50:51):
So if that happens, maybe we'll be on next week
and and talk through it. I don't know, but uh,
it's gonna it's gonna be exciting to kind of see
what the Cubs do and how they piece this thing together.
And yes, I'm mad the Cubs didn't pursue Soda at all.
I don't think even if they pursued him that Soda
(51:13):
would have ended up there because the Yankees pursued him,
and they end up with the Yankees. Like, so just
think if you were the Yankees, like, but now the
Yankees have all that money to spend somewhere.
Speaker 5 (51:25):
Side note, a week from this coming Saturday, pictures and
Catchers report or two months from this Saturday.
Speaker 4 (51:33):
It's like a week.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
All right? Sweet?
Speaker 1 (51:39):
All right? Well that does that for the Dinger's podcast.
Make sure you fall us on x or Twitter or
whatever it is at Dinger Cubs Go, make sure you
file the guys on on Tap Sports Network YouTube channel.
That's where you can subscribe and catch us when we're
when we stream during this offseason, and you can check
(52:03):
out all the other great shows on Top Sports Network.
They're doing Bulls Talk, they're doing Bears Talk, which I
know nobody really wants to talk about the Bears, but
all Chicago sports is covered there on the on PAP
Sports Network YouTube channel. So thanks for listening. And that
(52:24):
does it for episode one sixty nine. Next time is
one seventy guys A good deal?
Speaker 3 (52:32):
Rizzo's a whore, all right?
Speaker 1 (52:35):
Thanks for listening to the Bears Podcast. Go Cubs
Speaker 4 (52:41):
Go, Cubs Go
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