Episode 196: Hye-seong Kim, We're Waiting.....

[00:00:00] Welcome to episode number 196 of the Marine Layer Podcast. The clock is ticking on Hye-seong Kim. Will he be a Mariner? We'll talk about all the latest rumors. Roki Sasaki is also back in Japan and has concluded his first round of meetings. How will this impact the rest of the Mariners offseason? There's a couple of interesting things I want to touch on there.

[00:00:20] Here's your guys reminder. Happy New Year, by the way. Before we start this show, if you're listening on the audio side, do us a big favor, you guys. Hit that download button. The best way on the audio side of things you can help support us is just download these episodes. Then say you're on a plane, say you've got bad Wi-Fi service, you don't have to rely on service to listen. You can listen no matter what. Just hit the download button. If you do that, rate and review. Leave a five-star review. We're trying to get the reviews up to help us out. Why not, right?

[00:00:47] If you're on YouTube, make sure to like, comment, and please hit that subscribe button over on YouTube. If you're on YouTube, you can see the subscribe button. It's right there. It's in front of you. Just click it. On social media, we're on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube Shorts, and Blue Sky. Follow us there at MarineLayerPod.

[00:01:04] Let's get it rolling.

[00:01:18] And we welcome you to this episode of the Marine Layer Podcast, part of the Just Baseball Podcast Network, recording on Thursday evening, January 2nd, 2025.

[00:01:30] Is it safe to say New Year, New Lyle?

[00:01:34] No, it's not New Year, New Lyle. It's New Year, same Lyle, because I wake up on New Year's Day only to walk downstairs, watch one of my favorite teams lose, and lose a fixed game.

[00:01:45] And I'm not even talking about baseball. Yeah, I'm coming into 2025 hot. So I'd say New Year, same Lyle.

[00:01:51] If you watched our skit on social media, me chucking a bat into the bushes, if you've been on social media seeing me tweet about the ASU game, and if you're now sitting here listening to our first podcast in 2025 and me sounding like this, no, I don't think it's New Lyle at all.

[00:02:05] I think I'm still just as fired up as ever.

[00:02:07] Like, think about this. Here's some perspective.

[00:02:10] I am about to be as fired up as I've been on a podcast to talk about something, to get some emotions off my chest, for something that's not about Haesong Kim, who, by the way, as everybody knows, I do not want the Mariners to sign at all.

[00:02:24] That's how I'm doing. Happy New Year.

[00:02:27] The Mariners have a great opportunity here to distract us and totally throw us off of this tangent we had planned to discuss this at the beginning of this episode.

[00:02:36] But, well, seemingly they have missed this opportunity here, so instead, yeah, we're going to start by talking about football for a couple of minutes.

[00:02:45] No, it was not a great way to start the new year, I'm not going to lie, in terms of we're sitting in my living room and watching this game.

[00:02:55] And, you know, the expectations for things much, you know, kind of like, it's kind of, we can kind of draw the similarities to Mariner baseball here a little bit.

[00:03:02] It's like the expectations are not the highest in the world.

[00:03:06] They haven't historically set the expectations through the roof.

[00:03:09] So when you make, you get this really cool opportunity to go play in a New Year's Six Bowl game and you actually have a chance to beat a team that you're a two-touchdown underdog to, Lyle.

[00:03:21] And then it's kind of like calling Robbie Ray out of the bullpen in the second, in the, oh, sorry, at the end of the first overtime on a fourth down and 13.

[00:03:30] Oh, and then Jordan Alvarez just hits the ball right over the fence.

[00:03:34] The fourth and 13 turns into a touchdown.

[00:03:35] It was disappointing.

[00:03:37] But, yeah, to your point, Lyle, yeah, I was fixed.

[00:03:40] I'm totally on this wagon here.

[00:03:42] Totally fixed.

[00:03:43] Targeting call at the end of the game?

[00:03:44] Come on.

[00:03:45] You're talking about...

[00:03:46] Targeting call against an SEC team in an ESPN design playoff.

[00:03:52] Come on.

[00:03:52] Come on.

[00:03:53] You're talking about the Robbie Ray thing.

[00:03:55] Guess what?

[00:03:56] Jordan won that fair and square.

[00:03:58] As heartbreaking and crushing as that was, that was fair and square.

[00:04:02] This wasn't.

[00:04:04] And guess what?

[00:04:05] There's probably some of you listening to this that are laughing at our own expense right now and think we're just doing ridiculous amounts of coping after this loss.

[00:04:13] Maybe it sounds like loser talk to you.

[00:04:14] Guess what?

[00:04:15] As I continue to say, I am a loser.

[00:04:18] Therefore, I am not going to stop this take.

[00:04:21] I am not going to get off this train.

[00:04:23] This is a sport, as you and I talk about, college football.

[00:04:26] I mean, what a stupid, corrupt sport.

[00:04:30] It is unreal.

[00:04:31] This is a sport where, unlike...

[00:04:34] Like, I'm correct, right?

[00:04:35] We've talked about this.

[00:04:36] The NCAA owns the postseason of every collegiate athletics, athletic event, except college football.

[00:04:43] I am correct, right?

[00:04:44] And it instead is owned by ESPN.

[00:04:47] Owned by ESPN.

[00:04:48] NCAA owns all the other postseasons in college athletics, except ESPN.

[00:04:53] Hmm.

[00:04:54] So ESPN owns the college football playoff.

[00:04:57] They also essentially own the SEC and have significant financial interest and investment in that conference.

[00:05:05] They're going to do significantly better as a network and as a conference if the conference succeeds, unlike if everybody loses, which everybody but Texas and the SEC did.

[00:05:16] So, hmm.

[00:05:17] Hmm.

[00:05:17] I'm not saying every play in that game was fixed, but they knew good and damn well the magnitude of that targeting call when they went to the monitor for two-plus minutes, looked at that play over and over and over and over.

[00:05:29] Marshawn Lynch over and over and over and over again.

[00:05:31] And they said, nope.

[00:05:33] No targeting.

[00:05:34] The only conclusion I have from that is the call came in.

[00:05:40] When they were at the monitor, the call came in and somebody from up above was like, do not give ASU this call.

[00:05:45] Do not.

[00:05:46] Because, look.

[00:05:48] I'm going on a rant here, but I'm going to wrap it up like this.

[00:05:50] I'm not saying every sport and all these events are fixed.

[00:05:55] I know a lot of people do that, but I am serious with this.

[00:05:57] If there was any sport where a fix would be in, it is absolutely in this new corrupt age of college football where it's all about the success of two conferences and nobody else.

[00:06:09] Like, again, I could absolutely believe a call came in to fix that targeting call.

[00:06:15] The only question you have to ask to answer this question yourself is, in which game would the ratings be better in the next round?

[00:06:22] Texas-Ohio State or Ohio State-Arizona State?

[00:06:25] Ohio State-Texas in?

[00:06:27] Oh, where's that game?

[00:06:28] Oh, Dallas.

[00:06:30] How convenient.

[00:06:31] Again, if you're college football, and again, you are predicated, like, your whole identity now is built on the success of two conferences.

[00:06:42] It's like, hmm, do we want a Blue Blood name-brand SEC team that's in-state to play a playoff game in-state against another Blue Blood, or do we want little old Arizona State from the Big 12?

[00:06:55] No.

[00:06:55] No, it explains it pretty well.

[00:06:57] And some of you are probably going to tell us, well, the 4th and 13, they should have just stopped that play.

[00:07:01] They should have scored early in the game.

[00:07:03] Well, guess what?

[00:07:04] Never should have gotten to the 4th and 13.

[00:07:07] Should have ended the game in regulation after the targeting call.

[00:07:10] Yeah, fix was in.

[00:07:12] I'm not sure I have much else to add.

[00:07:13] You did a pretty good job there.

[00:07:14] Yeah.

[00:07:16] Like, it's all laid out there in front of you, people.

[00:07:19] This is why that sport, like, and I love college football, and I have my whole life, but this stupid sport is in a terrible spot, and it's so corrupt.

[00:07:28] And as pissed off as I was about that targeting call, it shocked me 0% to see some shit like that happen.

[00:07:34] And yeah.

[00:07:37] I told you, Haesong Kim is somehow not the most fired up topic I will bring to this podcast today.

[00:07:43] I actually just think you wanted to get yourself warmed up.

[00:07:47] Or maybe I did.

[00:07:48] Maybe this is a little warm up.

[00:07:51] It is a pretty good warm up.

[00:07:52] I mean, if Haesong Kim signs in the middle of recording this podcast,

[00:07:58] I am warmed up now to absolutely unleash.

[00:08:01] Well, we'll see.

[00:08:03] His deadline is coming up in, what's the math on this?

[00:08:08] 24 minus, was it 24 minus, was it 1 p.m.?

[00:08:15] His deadline is 2 p.m. Pacific time on Friday.

[00:08:18] Friday, January 3rd.

[00:08:20] So 6 1⁄2 minus 24 is 17 1⁄2 hours.

[00:08:26] As of time we're sitting here, yeah.

[00:08:28] As of time we're recording right now.

[00:08:30] Mm-hmm.

[00:08:31] Yeah, we record at different times on different days just depending on what works out.

[00:08:36] But today, if you want a little peek behind the curtain,

[00:08:39] we actually tried to wait as long as we could to record to see if Haesong Kim was going to sign here on Thursday

[00:08:45] because if he did, we would have just done an emergency episode if he had signed with the Mariners.

[00:08:49] It probably would have featured me being all pissed off during the episode.

[00:08:52] But we would have done an emergency episode.

[00:08:55] But here it is.

[00:08:56] It's 830.

[00:08:57] He's still unsigned.

[00:08:58] So we're sitting here recording.

[00:09:00] We got some more rumors to address with Haesong Kim.

[00:09:03] And if he signs tomorrow on Friday, we will do another episode.

[00:09:06] Promise.

[00:09:08] Yeah.

[00:09:08] Promise.

[00:09:08] Before we get to that, though, just want to let you guys know there is an opportunity

[00:09:12] for you guys to support us going into this new year of 2025.

[00:09:17] And this, hopefully, for some of you and hopefully for us too, an exciting 2025 Mariners season,

[00:09:23] we're looking for new sponsors.

[00:09:25] So if you own a small business, if you own like a medium-sized business or even a big business,

[00:09:30] if it's a car dealership, it's a law firm, a mechanic shop, it's a restaurant chain, something,

[00:09:35] just something that you are extremely passionate about and you're looking to grow here in 2025,

[00:09:41] well, let us help you here at the Marine Layer Podcast.

[00:09:44] You have an opportunity to be heard here on this very show.

[00:09:47] You have an opportunity to be featured on our social channels.

[00:09:49] But the most important thing is the two of us, the two entities helping each other.

[00:09:54] So if this is something that would interest you, you support Lyle and I, and we support you guys back,

[00:10:00] just send us an email, marinelayerpod at gmail.com.

[00:10:03] You can send us a DM too.

[00:10:04] On Instagram, you can send us one on Twitter, on TikTok, whatever works for you.

[00:10:08] Send us a DM there or send us an email, marinelayerpod at gmail.com.

[00:10:13] We look forward to hearing from you guys.

[00:10:15] So, Haesung Kim.

[00:10:19] There was a couple of baseball accounts on Twitter today,

[00:10:23] tweeting out from the rumor mill of Korea that Haesung Kim's down to a handful of suitors,

[00:10:29] that he's got contract offers on the table,

[00:10:31] and that he's expected to sign by the deadline tomorrow.

[00:10:36] I would say the odds-on favorite is that he would sign with a Major League Baseball team

[00:10:43] before his deadline runs out tomorrow at 2 p.m. Pacific.

[00:10:48] Now, what are those teams?

[00:10:50] The Mariners are one of them.

[00:10:51] I know the Angels are one.

[00:10:52] The Reds are one.

[00:10:54] And I have the other two.

[00:10:55] Oh, the Blue Jays have an offer out too.

[00:10:57] And the Padres.

[00:10:58] So it's five teams that have offers out for Haesung Kim.

[00:11:03] Maybe it's just because this is how our feeds are curated, Lyle.

[00:11:06] But they were making it seem like the Mariners were the favorite.

[00:11:09] And there was an account today, KBO in English,

[00:11:13] tweeted that,

[00:11:15] I'm hearing some things.

[00:11:19] Announcement coming soon.

[00:11:20] And then that tweet was quote tweeted.

[00:11:23] I didn't read the entire tweet,

[00:11:24] but that tweet was quote tweeted and said,

[00:11:25] a transaction of a soon-to-be former KBO player,

[00:11:29] KBO player,

[00:11:30] then with an arrow,

[00:11:31] and then a rain cloud emoji.

[00:11:34] Does that make you excited, Lyle?

[00:11:37] No.

[00:11:38] Like, again,

[00:11:40] you want me to act sarcastic

[00:11:42] and come up with some snarky answer?

[00:11:43] I could,

[00:11:44] but for the sake of the people,

[00:11:45] I'm not even going to beat around the bush.

[00:11:46] No.

[00:11:47] I also,

[00:11:48] there was also another tweet out there

[00:11:50] that was even more direct than that one

[00:11:54] because that one was kind of insinuating some things.

[00:11:56] I think there was one out there saying he's chosen Seattle.

[00:11:59] Now,

[00:12:00] I think people are waiting for more of the prominent reporters

[00:12:03] to actually confirm this

[00:12:06] and to actually like see if it is in fact true.

[00:12:08] But there does seem to be some real tea leaves out there

[00:12:11] and some rumors that

[00:12:13] he might be leaning towards signing with the Mariners.

[00:12:18] Yeah.

[00:12:19] So,

[00:12:20] there's real rumors out there

[00:12:21] that Haesung Kim,

[00:12:23] by the deadline tomorrow,

[00:12:25] may sign with the Mariners.

[00:12:27] I'm doing a great job

[00:12:28] in like showing all my,

[00:12:29] showing all my excitement for this.

[00:12:31] I know.

[00:12:31] As,

[00:12:32] as he grits his teeth.

[00:12:34] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:35] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:36] The offer,

[00:12:36] I think the offer I saw was three for 12.

[00:12:39] Mm-hmm.

[00:12:40] Sounds right.

[00:12:41] Four million dollars.

[00:12:41] So essentially,

[00:12:42] they're replacing Josh Rojas' contract.

[00:12:45] They're replacing Josh Rojas with

[00:12:47] Josh Rojas.

[00:12:49] That's who Haesung Kim is.

[00:12:50] Pretty much.

[00:12:51] that's who Haesung Kim is

[00:12:52] probably at his best.

[00:12:55] That's probably the best case scenario

[00:12:57] is he's Josh Rojas.

[00:12:59] Josh Rojas would have technically

[00:13:01] been a little bit more expensive

[00:13:03] the next year or two after that

[00:13:05] if you were to keep him

[00:13:06] because he was going to make

[00:13:07] four million dollars this year

[00:13:09] and that's why the Mariners

[00:13:09] decided to non-tender him.

[00:13:11] It sounds like Haesung Kim

[00:13:12] will make four million dollars

[00:13:14] if that's the contract

[00:13:16] for the next three years.

[00:13:19] and

[00:13:19] you know,

[00:13:20] it does.

[00:13:21] So it seems like the Mariners

[00:13:23] are the favorites

[00:13:24] in all of this.

[00:13:24] I know you want him to be an angel.

[00:13:26] I think the angel

[00:13:27] to be honest,

[00:13:28] Lyle,

[00:13:29] the angels would be a great fit for him.

[00:13:31] You get to

[00:13:31] you get to play every single day.

[00:13:33] Mm-hmm.

[00:13:35] He'd get to

[00:13:36] enjoy the

[00:13:37] Yeah,

[00:13:38] the Southern California weather.

[00:13:39] You don't have to deal

[00:13:40] with the rain all the time.

[00:13:42] Angels are a great organization.

[00:13:44] Well-respected franchise.

[00:13:46] Everybody wants to play there.

[00:13:49] Yeah,

[00:13:49] sign with the angels.

[00:13:51] It's a great,

[00:13:51] it's a great place.

[00:13:52] You could be happy there,

[00:13:54] Haesung.

[00:13:54] And the Mariners

[00:13:55] can move on

[00:13:57] to other endeavors.

[00:13:59] So having Haesung Kim,

[00:14:01] he,

[00:14:02] on this roster,

[00:14:04] I'd imagine he's going to be

[00:14:05] a platoon player.

[00:14:06] Right?

[00:14:07] Like,

[00:14:08] it seems like it would be him

[00:14:09] and Bliss

[00:14:10] or Dylan Moore

[00:14:11] at second base.

[00:14:13] Yeah,

[00:14:14] that makes sense.

[00:14:16] How good is that combo?

[00:14:17] I mean,

[00:14:18] again,

[00:14:18] it's probably just

[00:14:20] Josh Rojas

[00:14:22] as

[00:14:24] extended out

[00:14:24] over a full season.

[00:14:25] I mean,

[00:14:26] we talked about it.

[00:14:26] If you listen to

[00:14:27] Wednesday's episode,

[00:14:29] Luke Arkins was just highlighting

[00:14:30] how

[00:14:30] once you just play

[00:14:32] Dylan Moore too much,

[00:14:33] he looks really tough

[00:14:34] at the plate.

[00:14:35] Ryan Bliss looked

[00:14:36] overmatched at times

[00:14:37] in the big leagues last year.

[00:14:39] He did some good things,

[00:14:40] but wasn't the,

[00:14:41] you know,

[00:14:42] world beater there

[00:14:42] at second base.

[00:14:43] Like to see him

[00:14:44] pick it up

[00:14:45] and play better

[00:14:45] this upcoming season

[00:14:46] in 2025,

[00:14:47] but that,

[00:14:48] that's no guarantee either.

[00:14:50] And then there's

[00:14:51] Haesung Kim,

[00:14:51] who we've highlighted.

[00:14:52] He had a 118 WRC plus

[00:14:54] in Korea last year.

[00:14:55] He had 11 bombs.

[00:14:56] That was a,

[00:14:57] a career high for him.

[00:14:59] The year before that

[00:15:00] was his best

[00:15:01] offensive season in Korea.

[00:15:02] He had a WRC plus

[00:15:03] of almost 140.

[00:15:05] He's stolen

[00:15:07] 46 bags in a season

[00:15:08] before he did that

[00:15:09] in 2021.

[00:15:10] The value comes from

[00:15:12] his defense

[00:15:13] and base running.

[00:15:14] Oh,

[00:15:14] and by the way,

[00:15:14] I actually didn't know this.

[00:15:15] He does lead

[00:15:16] since 2018.

[00:15:18] He debuted

[00:15:19] his first full season,

[00:15:20] I believe it was 2018.

[00:15:21] He has stolen

[00:15:22] more bases

[00:15:23] than anyone

[00:15:24] in the KBL.

[00:15:25] So there is,

[00:15:26] there is that

[00:15:27] when it comes to

[00:15:28] his proficiency

[00:15:29] on the base paths.

[00:15:30] However,

[00:15:31] most of the,

[00:15:32] none of our doubts

[00:15:34] about high sunk

[00:15:35] hims comes from

[00:15:36] his defense,

[00:15:37] which he's won

[00:15:37] plenty of awards

[00:15:38] defensively.

[00:15:39] And none of it

[00:15:40] comes from his base

[00:15:41] running either.

[00:15:42] It's his offense.

[00:15:43] That's the problem.

[00:15:45] I'll ask the people

[00:15:46] this,

[00:15:47] and you may know

[00:15:48] the answer.

[00:15:49] It could be slightly

[00:15:49] rhetorical,

[00:15:50] but I'm going to ask

[00:15:51] it.

[00:15:52] Why do you think

[00:15:53] his market

[00:15:53] is essentially

[00:15:55] three years

[00:15:56] for $12 million

[00:15:57] if he can field

[00:15:59] and if he can run

[00:16:01] the bases?

[00:16:02] Why,

[00:16:02] why is his market

[00:16:03] not a six year deal

[00:16:04] for a hundred million

[00:16:05] like Jung-Hoo Lee got?

[00:16:07] Oh,

[00:16:07] because he's,

[00:16:08] people don't think

[00:16:09] he can actually hit.

[00:16:11] And this offense

[00:16:12] needs to hit.

[00:16:14] So I don't know

[00:16:15] what this is going

[00:16:16] to solve

[00:16:16] by bringing this guy in.

[00:16:18] You hope that he is

[00:16:19] a two win player

[00:16:20] off his defense

[00:16:21] and speed.

[00:16:21] Fine.

[00:16:22] You still need

[00:16:24] to hit

[00:16:24] the baseball.

[00:16:27] And I don't,

[00:16:27] they're,

[00:16:28] they're,

[00:16:28] so they're,

[00:16:30] they're signing him

[00:16:30] trying to get better,

[00:16:31] but they're not.

[00:16:32] I don't think this is a move

[00:16:33] that they're going to say,

[00:16:34] yeah,

[00:16:34] we're better offensively

[00:16:35] because we signed

[00:16:36] high sunk him.

[00:16:37] I hope that's the reasoning.

[00:16:39] Do you trust,

[00:16:40] do you trust that in their

[00:16:41] press conference about him,

[00:16:42] they're not going to say

[00:16:43] we're better offensively?

[00:16:45] Okay.

[00:16:45] Odds are in their

[00:16:46] press conference,

[00:16:46] they're going to say

[00:16:47] some stupid quote about him,

[00:16:48] but behind the scenes,

[00:16:50] I would be shocked

[00:16:51] if they said,

[00:16:52] yep,

[00:16:52] our offense is better

[00:16:52] because we signed

[00:16:53] high sunk him.

[00:16:55] Yeah.

[00:16:56] He's a good base runner,

[00:16:57] but he's not going to,

[00:16:58] he's not going to make you

[00:16:59] score 50 more runs

[00:17:00] because he's running the bases

[00:17:02] instead of Josh Rojas

[00:17:04] or Jorge Polanco.

[00:17:05] Like,

[00:17:06] Polanco last year

[00:17:07] was an average base runner

[00:17:08] and so was Josh Rojas.

[00:17:10] Like,

[00:17:11] high sunk him

[00:17:11] could be above average,

[00:17:13] he could be a good base runner,

[00:17:14] but that's not,

[00:17:15] that's worth what,

[00:17:16] five runs in a season?

[00:17:18] And just to explain

[00:17:19] to people who are

[00:17:19] currently screaming,

[00:17:20] saying,

[00:17:20] how can you say

[00:17:21] Polanco's even an

[00:17:22] average base runner?

[00:17:23] Look,

[00:17:23] he's not fast,

[00:17:24] but his actual

[00:17:25] base running ability

[00:17:27] graded out

[00:17:28] is about league average.

[00:17:29] So yes,

[00:17:29] you're right.

[00:17:31] I looked at the

[00:17:32] second base position

[00:17:33] as a whole last year.

[00:17:34] We're talking about

[00:17:34] base running runs

[00:17:36] and if you're

[00:17:37] unfamiliar with that,

[00:17:38] it's a new stat

[00:17:39] from Baseball Savant.

[00:17:40] They try to quantify

[00:17:41] how valuable

[00:17:42] players are

[00:17:43] on the base paths

[00:17:44] and I took a look

[00:17:45] at all the players

[00:17:45] who played second base

[00:17:46] for the Mariners

[00:17:47] last year.

[00:17:48] Polanco,

[00:17:49] I looked at Dylan Moore

[00:17:49] and I looked at Ryan Bliss

[00:17:50] and they came out

[00:17:51] at a plus one.

[00:17:52] Most of that was

[00:17:53] because of Ryan Bliss.

[00:17:54] He had two

[00:17:55] in his very short,

[00:17:56] very short sample.

[00:17:58] So it wasn't,

[00:17:59] it wasn't a disaster

[00:18:00] base running wise

[00:18:01] at second base.

[00:18:02] That wasn't

[00:18:04] totally the problem.

[00:18:05] It could always be better.

[00:18:06] We talked about

[00:18:06] how unathletic

[00:18:08] at times

[00:18:08] the Mariners roster seemed

[00:18:10] and how many pickles

[00:18:11] it put them in

[00:18:12] in certain scenarios

[00:18:13] last year.

[00:18:14] Thank God

[00:18:15] for Victor Robles.

[00:18:16] They would have been

[00:18:16] just,

[00:18:17] their base running

[00:18:17] last year.

[00:18:18] Well,

[00:18:19] I don't know

[00:18:19] if you've looked

[00:18:20] at the base running runs.

[00:18:20] I would go look

[00:18:21] after we're done recording

[00:18:23] and look at everyone else

[00:18:24] besides Victor Robles.

[00:18:26] They probably look like,

[00:18:28] they probably look like

[00:18:29] a bunch of kids

[00:18:29] on Mill Avenue

[00:18:30] at Arizona State

[00:18:31] stumbling around

[00:18:32] at two in the morning

[00:18:32] on a Saturday night.

[00:18:34] You're not that far off.

[00:18:37] So the base running

[00:18:38] would be a positive

[00:18:39] for High Sun Kim.

[00:18:41] Stolen bases

[00:18:42] don't necessarily

[00:18:43] mean you're

[00:18:44] a great base runner

[00:18:45] because you could be

[00:18:45] an inefficient base stealer.

[00:18:47] I would imagine though,

[00:18:49] High Sun Kim

[00:18:49] will bring a net positive

[00:18:51] in the base running category.

[00:18:52] Like this is going to be

[00:18:53] me spin zoning.

[00:18:54] I'm going to spend

[00:18:54] this segment

[00:18:55] while Lyle,

[00:18:56] like Lyle's got

[00:18:57] the bad cop going right now.

[00:18:58] He's,

[00:18:59] he's like,

[00:18:59] he's angry about the ASU game.

[00:19:01] I am too,

[00:19:02] by the way.

[00:19:02] Yeah.

[00:19:03] Just fucking bullshit.

[00:19:05] But he's,

[00:19:05] he's angry right now

[00:19:07] about this.

[00:19:07] I'm trying,

[00:19:08] I'm going to,

[00:19:08] I'm going to play good cop.

[00:19:09] I'm going to be spin zoning

[00:19:10] High Sun Kim

[00:19:11] and how this value

[00:19:12] could,

[00:19:12] could work out

[00:19:13] for the Mariners.

[00:19:15] And I will note again,

[00:19:16] the Mariners are not signing

[00:19:17] High Sun Kim

[00:19:18] to be better on offense.

[00:19:19] They are not doing that.

[00:19:21] If they wanted to be

[00:19:21] better on offense,

[00:19:22] they would open up

[00:19:23] the checkbook

[00:19:23] and they would make

[00:19:24] more money available

[00:19:25] to go get players.

[00:19:26] But since that is not the case,

[00:19:28] they have to find ways

[00:19:29] to get better in other areas.

[00:19:30] Yeah,

[00:19:31] the offense stunk last year,

[00:19:32] but the Mariners

[00:19:33] were lacking

[00:19:33] in a lot of categories

[00:19:35] that they could have

[00:19:35] been a lot better in.

[00:19:38] So that's where you go

[00:19:39] look at the off season.

[00:19:40] It's like,

[00:19:40] all right,

[00:19:41] well,

[00:19:41] we need to improve

[00:19:41] somewhere on this roster,

[00:19:44] whether it be speed,

[00:19:45] whether it be defense,

[00:19:47] whether it be bullpen,

[00:19:48] we need to find a way

[00:19:49] to get better in ways.

[00:19:52] And lucky for them,

[00:19:53] base running and defense

[00:19:54] is a lot cheaper

[00:19:56] than upgrading on offense.

[00:19:58] So that's,

[00:19:59] that's one spin zone now.

[00:20:01] There you go.

[00:20:01] This is actually good.

[00:20:02] This is a good way

[00:20:03] to kind of segue this,

[00:20:06] or not segue the show,

[00:20:07] but plan out this show

[00:20:08] and blueprint this show

[00:20:09] that there's a good cop

[00:20:10] and there's a bad cop.

[00:20:11] So people get the positive sides

[00:20:13] of Haesung Kim

[00:20:13] if you want to be positive

[00:20:14] about the signing.

[00:20:15] And if people are like me

[00:20:16] where you're going to be upset about it,

[00:20:17] you can get the side

[00:20:18] where you're upset about it.

[00:20:20] Here's the other thing

[00:20:21] I've been seeing plenty

[00:20:22] about Haesung Kim

[00:20:23] that people have been saying

[00:20:24] in addition to his defense

[00:20:25] and speed

[00:20:26] that,

[00:20:28] well,

[00:20:28] he's a bat to ball guy.

[00:20:30] He's going to put the ball in play.

[00:20:31] This is what the Mariners need.

[00:20:34] Yeah,

[00:20:34] guys,

[00:20:35] he put the ball in play

[00:20:37] in essentially double A

[00:20:38] in the KBO.

[00:20:39] In the KBO,

[00:20:41] sure,

[00:20:41] he didn't strike out

[00:20:42] and he put the ball in play.

[00:20:44] That's,

[00:20:45] that's awesome.

[00:20:46] You know who else

[00:20:48] didn't strike out a lot

[00:20:49] in double A?

[00:20:50] Let's see if you can guess

[00:20:51] the name I'm about to throw out here.

[00:20:52] You know who didn't strike out a lot

[00:20:53] in double A?

[00:20:54] Oh,

[00:20:54] wait,

[00:20:54] don't say it.

[00:20:55] Don't say it.

[00:20:55] Don't say it.

[00:20:55] Don't say it.

[00:20:57] Jared Kelnick.

[00:20:59] Jared Kelnick.

[00:21:00] Yes!

[00:21:01] I didn't even know that beforehand.

[00:21:02] Let's go.

[00:21:04] Jared Kelnick did not strike out a lot

[00:21:06] in double A.

[00:21:07] He was considered a bat-to-ball guy.

[00:21:10] Once he got to the majors,

[00:21:11] he has ran out a career strikeout rate

[00:21:14] of over 30%.

[00:21:17] Now,

[00:21:17] question,

[00:21:18] question,

[00:21:19] question,

[00:21:20] but is Haesung Kim training

[00:21:22] with Mark McGuire this offseason?

[00:21:25] Well,

[00:21:25] not that I know of.

[00:21:26] Hopefully not.

[00:21:28] But,

[00:21:28] I would like to say

[00:21:30] that while maybe Haesung

[00:21:32] wouldn't reach the 30% mark

[00:21:33] in Major League Baseball,

[00:21:35] this idea that

[00:21:36] because he actually made

[00:21:37] bat-to-ball contact

[00:21:38] plenty in the KBO

[00:21:39] that it's just going to

[00:21:40] translate over to elite,

[00:21:41] elite,

[00:21:42] big league pitching

[00:21:44] is a little short-sighted

[00:21:46] from people that are so sure

[00:21:47] that it's just going to

[00:21:48] plug and play

[00:21:49] and work.

[00:21:50] I am not sold on that at all.

[00:21:51] And let's highlight

[00:21:53] the environment

[00:21:54] that the KBO is

[00:21:55] when it comes to offense.

[00:21:57] So,

[00:21:58] not only is the talent level

[00:21:59] closer to AA

[00:22:00] than it is to

[00:22:01] the big leagues,

[00:22:03] but think about this.

[00:22:05] Haesung Kim,

[00:22:06] first career,

[00:22:06] hit 304 in the KBO.

[00:22:08] And then there's been

[00:22:08] some people in our comments today

[00:22:09] have been like,

[00:22:10] look,

[00:22:10] he's,

[00:22:11] like you mentioned,

[00:22:12] a great bat-to-ball guy.

[00:22:13] He's got over a 300 career average.

[00:22:15] Look at the on-base percentage.

[00:22:17] Like,

[00:22:17] these bat-to-ball skills

[00:22:18] translate.

[00:22:19] He's good at locating

[00:22:20] off-speed pitches and such.

[00:22:21] It's like,

[00:22:21] well,

[00:22:21] maybe in the KBO,

[00:22:23] he is really good at that.

[00:22:24] And that's,

[00:22:24] that's a heck of an achievement.

[00:22:26] There are guys

[00:22:27] who have made great careers

[00:22:28] in the KBO.

[00:22:29] You make some money,

[00:22:29] you retire,

[00:22:30] and you live a good life.

[00:22:31] Fantastic.

[00:22:32] In the KBO,

[00:22:33] the league batting average

[00:22:34] is 277.

[00:22:36] So,

[00:22:37] the league is nearly

[00:22:37] hitting 280.

[00:22:39] That makes,

[00:22:40] when you hit 300,

[00:22:41] it's not really that special.

[00:22:43] When the rest of the league

[00:22:45] is hitting for an average

[00:22:46] that high as well.

[00:22:47] Lyle,

[00:22:47] do you want to take a guess

[00:22:48] what the league ERA is

[00:22:50] in the KBO?

[00:22:50] Ooh,

[00:22:52] league ERA in the KBO.

[00:22:55] I'm going to say

[00:22:55] 3-9?

[00:22:57] 4-9.

[00:22:59] 4-9.

[00:23:00] 4-9.

[00:23:02] So,

[00:23:02] just for some context,

[00:23:04] that's peak steroid era

[00:23:05] Major League Baseball number

[00:23:06] right there.

[00:23:08] So,

[00:23:09] in a hitter-friendly league

[00:23:10] featuring bad pitching,

[00:23:12] Haesung Kim was barely

[00:23:14] above league average

[00:23:16] as a batting average

[00:23:17] bat-to-ball guy.

[00:23:18] He was barely above

[00:23:20] league average,

[00:23:20] or not barely above

[00:23:21] league average,

[00:23:21] but not crazy above

[00:23:23] league average

[00:23:23] as a WRC plus guy

[00:23:25] considering it was 118,

[00:23:27] and that was a good

[00:23:28] year for him.

[00:23:29] He's had years in the past

[00:23:30] where he was down

[00:23:31] at things like

[00:23:31] 104.

[00:23:33] That was 2021.

[00:23:35] And then all paired

[00:23:36] with,

[00:23:37] this is not

[00:23:38] big league caliber

[00:23:40] competition!

[00:23:41] Why,

[00:23:41] like,

[00:23:42] why are there people

[00:23:43] out there that are

[00:23:44] so set,

[00:23:44] like,

[00:23:45] so sure that this guy's

[00:23:46] going to come over

[00:23:46] and hit?

[00:23:47] They need real bats,

[00:23:49] dude.

[00:23:50] Like,

[00:23:50] this is essentially

[00:23:51] like signing a minor

[00:23:52] leaguer and hoping a

[00:23:53] prospect's going to pan

[00:23:53] out.

[00:23:54] He's definitely a

[00:23:55] prospect.

[00:23:56] It's not,

[00:23:57] you're not signing a

[00:23:58] Roki,

[00:23:59] or a Roki-level talent,

[00:24:01] or a Yoshinubi Yamamoto

[00:24:03] level talent,

[00:24:04] or a Shohei-level talent,

[00:24:06] or a Yusei Kikuchi

[00:24:07] talent.

[00:24:08] Like,

[00:24:08] KBO's different,

[00:24:09] it's a different beast.

[00:24:10] It's completely

[00:24:11] different.

[00:24:11] Like,

[00:24:11] the leagues,

[00:24:12] the MPB and the KBO

[00:24:14] are totally different.

[00:24:17] Like,

[00:24:17] they're both in Asia,

[00:24:18] but they are

[00:24:21] starkly different

[00:24:21] when it comes to

[00:24:22] the talent level

[00:24:23] at those two leagues.

[00:24:24] Just,

[00:24:24] I just want people

[00:24:26] to remember that.

[00:24:26] Like,

[00:24:26] it is a very,

[00:24:28] very different environment

[00:24:29] that they play in

[00:24:30] in the KBO.

[00:24:31] I will note,

[00:24:33] in terms of

[00:24:34] what you're actually

[00:24:35] improving,

[00:24:35] as I'll just repeat

[00:24:36] myself again,

[00:24:37] that this move is

[00:24:38] not to upgrade

[00:24:38] the offense.

[00:24:39] The Mariners

[00:24:40] want to upgrade

[00:24:41] the offense,

[00:24:42] they know what

[00:24:42] they need to do,

[00:24:43] and they have been

[00:24:43] unwilling to take

[00:24:44] the risk to go do so,

[00:24:45] and so far seem

[00:24:47] complacent about

[00:24:48] where the offense is.

[00:24:49] Hence,

[00:24:50] their comments

[00:24:50] at the end of the season,

[00:24:51] the final five weeks

[00:24:52] is the greatest

[00:24:53] five weeks in

[00:24:53] Mariners history.

[00:24:54] Oh,

[00:24:54] look how many runs

[00:24:55] they scored

[00:24:55] in the final five

[00:24:56] weeks of the season,

[00:24:57] Lyle.

[00:24:57] It's the Saviors.

[00:24:59] We were right.

[00:25:00] We're right.

[00:25:01] Yawn.

[00:25:02] Anyways,

[00:25:05] Mariners were

[00:25:05] terrible defensively

[00:25:06] at second base

[00:25:07] last year.

[00:25:07] I mean,

[00:25:10] horrendous.

[00:25:11] They netted

[00:25:12] fielding runs,

[00:25:14] which is the

[00:25:15] fielding version of

[00:25:16] base running runs

[00:25:16] on Baseball Savant

[00:25:17] last year.

[00:25:18] Negative six

[00:25:19] at second base.

[00:25:20] Jorge Polanco

[00:25:21] posted most of that.

[00:25:23] It would have been

[00:25:23] a lot worse if I think

[00:25:24] Dylan Moore wasn't

[00:25:25] a decent glove

[00:25:26] at second base.

[00:25:28] So,

[00:25:30] that number will

[00:25:31] not be negative six

[00:25:32] next year if

[00:25:33] Haesung Kim

[00:25:33] signs with the

[00:25:34] Mariners.

[00:25:35] It will instead

[00:25:36] most likely be

[00:25:37] positive.

[00:25:37] He's won the

[00:25:38] KBO version of

[00:25:40] a gold glove at

[00:25:40] second base.

[00:25:41] Now,

[00:25:41] imagine Lyle,

[00:25:42] they don't base

[00:25:43] gold gloves off

[00:25:44] of batting average

[00:25:45] in the KBO,

[00:25:46] right?

[00:25:47] I'd hope so.

[00:25:48] I would hope.

[00:25:49] Yeah.

[00:25:49] And I also believe

[00:25:51] he won their version

[00:25:52] of the platinum

[00:25:52] glove this year.

[00:25:53] Don't quote me on

[00:25:54] that.

[00:25:54] I think I read that

[00:25:55] earlier.

[00:25:56] But he's a good

[00:25:57] defender.

[00:25:57] And when Haesung

[00:25:59] Kim,

[00:25:59] his former teammate

[00:26:00] in the KBO,

[00:26:01] left for Major

[00:26:01] League Baseball,

[00:26:03] Haesung went over

[00:26:04] and played

[00:26:05] shortstop.

[00:26:05] That's the kind

[00:26:07] of trust they

[00:26:07] had in him

[00:26:08] defensively.

[00:26:09] So legitimately,

[00:26:09] they will be

[00:26:09] better on defense.

[00:26:10] And whenever a

[00:26:11] ball was hit at

[00:26:12] Jorge Polanco last

[00:26:13] year,

[00:26:13] it was an

[00:26:14] adventure.

[00:26:14] Not enough range.

[00:26:15] Not a good

[00:26:16] enough arm.

[00:26:17] It was troublesome.

[00:26:18] They were at

[00:26:19] second base last

[00:26:20] year and it

[00:26:20] will be different

[00:26:21] defensively if

[00:26:22] it's Haesung

[00:26:26] Kim playing out

[00:26:26] there instead

[00:26:27] of Jorge Polanco.

[00:26:31] Speaking of

[00:26:31] Haesung

[00:26:32] Kim,

[00:26:34] now I'm

[00:26:34] going to go

[00:26:35] back and do

[00:26:35] a bit more

[00:26:36] of a negative

[00:26:37] spin of this.

[00:26:38] Just for some

[00:26:38] context,

[00:26:39] where Lyle's

[00:26:40] saying,

[00:26:41] oh,

[00:26:41] KBO guys

[00:26:42] never hit.

[00:26:42] Oh,

[00:26:42] like KBO

[00:26:43] stinks.

[00:26:44] These guys,

[00:26:44] they hit,

[00:26:45] if you're not

[00:26:47] a 200 WRC

[00:26:48] plus guy in

[00:26:49] the KBO,

[00:26:49] you'll never

[00:26:50] be able to

[00:26:50] hit in

[00:26:51] Major League

[00:26:51] Baseball.

[00:26:52] Let's put

[00:26:52] some context

[00:26:53] here.

[00:26:54] So Haesung

[00:26:54] Kim in his

[00:26:55] final season

[00:26:56] before coming

[00:26:57] over to Major

[00:26:57] League Baseball

[00:26:58] had a 141

[00:26:59] WRC plus

[00:27:00] in the KBO.

[00:27:02] Very good

[00:27:06] Haesung

[00:27:06] Kim had

[00:27:07] a 71

[00:27:08] WRC plus.

[00:27:10] Correct.

[00:27:12] So when

[00:27:13] you have

[00:27:13] a 141

[00:27:14] in the

[00:27:15] KBO

[00:27:16] and it

[00:27:16] drops down

[00:27:17] to a 71

[00:27:18] in year

[00:27:19] one,

[00:27:20] what does

[00:27:20] that say

[00:27:21] about a

[00:27:21] guy that

[00:27:22] was a

[00:27:22] 118

[00:27:23] WRC plus

[00:27:24] bat last

[00:27:25] year in

[00:27:25] Haesung

[00:27:25] Kim,

[00:27:26] who's been

[00:27:27] down to

[00:27:27] places like

[00:27:28] 104 within

[00:27:29] the last

[00:27:29] few years

[00:27:30] as well?

[00:27:31] What does

[00:27:32] that say

[00:27:32] about what

[00:27:33] he's going

[00:27:33] to do

[00:27:34] when he

[00:27:34] gets to

[00:27:35] the show?

[00:27:35] This is

[00:27:36] my whole

[00:27:36] issue.

[00:27:37] TJ is

[00:27:37] absolutely

[00:27:38] right.

[00:27:38] TJ is

[00:27:39] absolutely

[00:27:39] right that

[00:27:40] if the

[00:27:40] Mariners

[00:27:40] make this

[00:27:40] signing,

[00:27:41] it's not

[00:27:41] to improve

[00:27:42] the offense,

[00:27:42] it's to

[00:27:43] try to

[00:27:43] add more

[00:27:44] wins above

[00:27:44] replacement

[00:27:44] to the

[00:27:45] team,

[00:27:45] add more

[00:27:45] wins to

[00:27:46] the ball

[00:27:46] club,

[00:27:47] and hoping

[00:27:48] Haesung

[00:27:48] Kim can

[00:27:48] put up

[00:27:49] two wins

[00:27:49] or so

[00:27:50] with his

[00:27:50] defensive

[00:27:51] speed.

[00:27:52] The

[00:27:52] problem

[00:27:53] is if

[00:27:54] you give

[00:27:54] this guy

[00:27:54] a three

[00:27:55] year deal,

[00:27:56] you're

[00:27:56] committing

[00:27:57] playing time

[00:27:57] to him,

[00:27:58] serious

[00:27:59] playing time.

[00:28:00] And this

[00:28:00] is where

[00:28:05] lefties,

[00:28:05] a lot

[00:28:05] more.

[00:28:06] And as a

[00:28:06] left-handed

[00:28:07] bat,

[00:28:07] that means

[00:28:08] Haesung

[00:28:08] Kim would

[00:28:08] get a

[00:28:09] real run

[00:28:10] of playing

[00:28:10] time at

[00:28:11] second base,

[00:28:11] meaning he

[00:28:12] is going to

[00:28:12] be in the

[00:28:13] lineup getting

[00:28:13] multiple at

[00:28:14] bats every

[00:28:15] night,

[00:28:16] getting his

[00:28:16] three,

[00:28:17] four at

[00:28:17] bats every

[00:28:18] night.

[00:28:18] So it's

[00:28:19] not about

[00:28:21] maybe he'll

[00:28:21] bench it.

[00:28:22] They could

[00:28:22] move into

[00:28:22] the bench.

[00:28:23] You can

[00:28:24] pay a

[00:28:24] bench player

[00:28:24] four million

[00:28:25] dollars.

[00:28:26] When you

[00:28:27] have a

[00:28:27] 15 million

[00:28:28] dollar made

[00:28:29] up budget,

[00:28:30] you have

[00:28:30] very little

[00:28:31] room to

[00:28:31] work with.

[00:28:32] This is

[00:28:33] the other

[00:28:33] problem.

[00:28:33] If the

[00:28:34] Mariners had

[00:28:34] a normal

[00:28:34] off-season

[00:28:35] budget,

[00:28:35] and this

[00:28:36] was their

[00:28:37] idea as

[00:28:38] a number

[00:28:39] three or

[00:28:40] four off-season

[00:28:41] signing,

[00:28:41] to say,

[00:28:42] this guy's

[00:28:42] going to

[00:28:42] help us

[00:28:42] off our

[00:28:43] bench,

[00:28:43] I'd say,

[00:28:44] you know

[00:28:45] what?

[00:28:45] I can buy

[00:28:46] into that.

[00:28:47] When this

[00:28:48] is going to

[00:28:48] be the

[00:28:48] first move

[00:28:49] of the

[00:28:50] off-season

[00:28:50] on a

[00:28:51] stupid

[00:28:52] 15 million

[00:28:53] dollar budget

[00:28:53] that is

[00:28:54] made up

[00:28:54] and arbitrary,

[00:28:56] this is

[00:28:57] where my

[00:28:57] problem is.

[00:28:58] You're now

[00:28:58] spending a

[00:28:59] chunk of

[00:28:59] that to

[00:29:00] a guy

[00:29:00] who I

[00:29:00] don't

[00:29:01] think is

[00:29:01] going to

[00:29:01] hit a

[00:29:01] lick.

[00:29:03] This is

[00:29:04] also the

[00:29:04] type of

[00:29:05] player they've

[00:29:05] been looking

[00:29:05] for on the

[00:29:06] bench for

[00:29:06] a while.

[00:29:07] Really?

[00:29:09] Honestly.

[00:29:11] Mitch

[00:29:13] Hanager as

[00:29:13] a bench

[00:29:13] player,

[00:29:14] by the way,

[00:29:15] which is an

[00:29:15] example of

[00:29:16] someone who

[00:29:16] will be on

[00:29:16] the Mariners

[00:29:17] bench,

[00:29:18] projected this

[00:29:18] year.

[00:29:19] Think about

[00:29:20] what Mitch

[00:29:20] Hanager offers

[00:29:21] right now

[00:29:22] and his

[00:29:22] pay and

[00:29:24] his contract

[00:29:25] and what

[00:29:26] High Sun

[00:29:26] Kim offers.

[00:29:27] High Sun

[00:29:27] Kim looks a

[00:29:28] lot more

[00:29:28] like a

[00:29:29] major league

[00:29:29] bench player

[00:29:30] that you

[00:29:30] can put

[00:29:30] into

[00:29:30] pinch run

[00:29:31] and play

[00:29:31] defense

[00:29:31] late in

[00:29:32] games.

[00:29:32] Someone that

[00:29:33] actually impacts

[00:29:34] the game and

[00:29:35] makes you good

[00:29:35] late.

[00:29:36] Mariners can't

[00:29:37] even pitch

[00:29:38] hit Mitch

[00:29:38] Hanager late

[00:29:38] in games

[00:29:39] now.

[00:29:40] I wouldn't

[00:29:41] personally

[00:29:41] as a

[00:29:43] podcaster

[00:29:44] sitting here

[00:29:45] in his

[00:29:45] bedroom

[00:29:45] recording.

[00:29:46] I would

[00:29:47] not do

[00:29:48] that with

[00:29:49] Mitch

[00:29:49] Hanager.

[00:29:50] But High

[00:29:50] Sun

[00:29:50] Kim actually

[00:29:51] provides a

[00:29:52] value.

[00:29:52] I want to

[00:29:52] take you

[00:29:52] back to

[00:29:53] 2022.

[00:29:54] Think

[00:29:54] about that

[00:29:56] 2022

[00:29:56] Mariners

[00:29:57] roster and

[00:29:58] what they

[00:29:59] could do

[00:29:59] late in

[00:30:00] games,

[00:30:00] especially

[00:30:01] down to

[00:30:01] the stretch

[00:30:02] of the

[00:30:02] season.

[00:30:03] I vividly

[00:30:04] remember some

[00:30:05] of the best

[00:30:05] parts of

[00:30:06] that Mariners

[00:30:06] roster is when

[00:30:07] they could

[00:30:07] put Sam

[00:30:08] Haggerty in

[00:30:08] off the

[00:30:08] bench and

[00:30:09] he would

[00:30:09] steal bases

[00:30:10] and impact

[00:30:10] the game.

[00:30:11] It was

[00:30:12] fantastic.

[00:30:13] Mariners

[00:30:13] haven't had

[00:30:14] that ability

[00:30:16] consistently

[00:30:17] over even

[00:30:18] a multi-month

[00:30:19] stretch since

[00:30:20] then.

[00:30:21] Yeah,

[00:30:22] because Dylan

[00:30:22] Moore always has

[00:30:23] to play

[00:30:23] somewhere or

[00:30:24] another.

[00:30:25] They did it

[00:30:25] with Ryan

[00:30:26] Bliss a little

[00:30:26] bit this past

[00:30:27] year.

[00:30:27] They did it

[00:30:27] with Leo

[00:30:28] Rivas a

[00:30:28] little bit,

[00:30:29] but because

[00:30:29] those guys

[00:30:30] were still

[00:30:31] kind of

[00:30:31] working to

[00:30:32] find their

[00:30:33] presence in

[00:30:33] the big

[00:30:33] leagues as

[00:30:34] a bat,

[00:30:35] it was hard

[00:30:35] to put them

[00:30:36] in the lineup

[00:30:36] consistently.

[00:30:37] If you

[00:30:37] remember that

[00:30:38] year,

[00:30:39] Sam really

[00:30:40] hit.

[00:30:40] There was a

[00:30:41] stretch where

[00:30:41] Sam Haggerty

[00:30:42] was really

[00:30:42] hitting and

[00:30:43] as a result,

[00:30:43] it let the

[00:30:44] Mariners feel

[00:30:45] comfortable

[00:30:45] playing him

[00:30:46] in the

[00:30:46] lineup somewhat

[00:30:47] regularly or

[00:30:49] to bring him

[00:30:49] off the

[00:30:49] bench if they

[00:30:50] had to to

[00:30:50] use him

[00:30:51] late in

[00:30:51] games because

[00:30:52] he could

[00:30:52] do so

[00:30:53] much.

[00:30:53] Yeah,

[00:30:54] he was

[00:30:54] awesome back

[00:30:55] in that

[00:30:55] 2022 season.

[00:30:56] Yeah,

[00:30:57] let me

[00:30:57] clear that

[00:30:57] up.

[00:30:58] Again,

[00:30:58] I'll say

[00:30:59] it again.

[00:31:00] If Haesong

[00:31:00] Kim was

[00:31:01] being signed

[00:31:01] as the

[00:31:02] Mariners

[00:31:03] also planned

[00:31:03] to sign

[00:31:04] Christian

[00:31:05] Walker

[00:31:05] to play

[00:31:05] first and

[00:31:08] Haesong

[00:31:08] Kim,

[00:31:09] not Haesong

[00:31:09] but get

[00:31:10] Haesong

[00:31:10] Kim to

[00:31:11] play

[00:31:11] second and

[00:31:12] you traded

[00:31:12] for Alec

[00:31:13] Boehm to

[00:31:13] play third

[00:31:14] and then

[00:31:15] you said,

[00:31:15] okay,

[00:31:16] we are also

[00:31:16] going to

[00:31:16] spend three

[00:31:17] to four

[00:31:17] million dollars

[00:31:18] a year on

[00:31:18] Haesong

[00:31:19] Kim to

[00:31:20] be a

[00:31:22] bench

[00:31:22] head.

[00:31:23] As a

[00:31:23] bench

[00:31:23] bat,

[00:31:24] he can

[00:31:24] provide

[00:31:24] value,

[00:31:25] but he

[00:31:26] is going

[00:31:26] to get

[00:31:27] a serious

[00:31:28] run at

[00:31:29] second base

[00:31:30] and get

[00:31:30] serious at

[00:31:31] bats when

[00:31:31] he shouldn't

[00:31:32] for a team

[00:31:33] that says

[00:31:33] we need to

[00:31:34] improve our

[00:31:34] offense.

[00:31:35] Like,

[00:31:36] that's my

[00:31:37] issue.

[00:31:37] They are

[00:31:38] going to

[00:31:38] spin this

[00:31:39] like this

[00:31:39] is improving

[00:31:39] the offense

[00:31:40] and I

[00:31:41] don't know

[00:31:41] who they're

[00:31:42] fooling with

[00:31:42] that,

[00:31:43] but I

[00:31:44] don't think

[00:31:44] Haesong

[00:31:44] Kim's going

[00:31:45] to get

[00:31:45] anywhere near

[00:31:45] a league

[00:31:46] average bat,

[00:31:47] especially in

[00:31:47] year one

[00:31:48] when this

[00:31:48] team needs

[00:31:49] his production

[00:31:49] if they

[00:31:50] were to

[00:31:50] sign him

[00:31:50] right now

[00:31:52] in 2025.

[00:31:53] I have two

[00:31:54] more things.

[00:31:55] Number one,

[00:31:56] I would like

[00:31:57] to point out

[00:31:58] that there

[00:31:58] have only,

[00:31:59] believe it or

[00:31:59] not,

[00:32:00] been 11

[00:32:00] Korean-born

[00:32:02] players to

[00:32:03] hitters to

[00:32:03] come play

[00:32:04] in Major

[00:32:04] League Baseball.

[00:32:05] That's it.

[00:32:06] The sample

[00:32:07] size of

[00:32:08] Korean hitters

[00:32:10] in baseball

[00:32:10] is very

[00:32:11] small.

[00:32:12] But,

[00:32:12] but,

[00:32:13] we have an

[00:32:14] idea of

[00:32:15] how Korean

[00:32:16] players play

[00:32:17] in Major

[00:32:17] League Baseball,

[00:32:18] but the

[00:32:19] sample size

[00:32:20] is still

[00:32:20] very small

[00:32:21] if you

[00:32:21] would like,

[00:32:22] like to

[00:32:22] spin it

[00:32:23] and say,

[00:32:24] well,

[00:32:24] we just

[00:32:24] don't know.

[00:32:26] That is an

[00:32:27] option.

[00:32:27] If you'd like

[00:32:28] to think about

[00:32:28] it that way,

[00:32:29] I'd just like

[00:32:29] to point that

[00:32:30] out.

[00:32:30] It's just

[00:32:31] 12,

[00:32:31] like,

[00:32:32] after

[00:32:32] Haesong

[00:32:32] Kim signs,

[00:32:33] it'll be

[00:32:33] 12.

[00:32:34] Lyle,

[00:32:35] that's barely

[00:32:35] more than I'm

[00:32:36] holding up on

[00:32:36] the screen

[00:32:37] right now.

[00:32:38] Yes,

[00:32:39] correct.

[00:32:40] Okay,

[00:32:40] last thing

[00:32:41] for you.

[00:32:41] I have a

[00:32:41] question for

[00:32:42] you.

[00:32:43] The Mariners

[00:32:44] second base

[00:32:44] totals last

[00:32:45] year,

[00:32:45] they slashed

[00:32:47] 209,

[00:32:47] 301,

[00:32:48] 357,

[00:32:50] a 658

[00:32:51] OPS,

[00:32:53] 22 home

[00:32:54] runs.

[00:32:54] They were

[00:32:55] collectively worth,

[00:32:56] I estimate,

[00:32:56] about two

[00:32:57] baseball reference

[00:32:58] wins above

[00:32:59] replacement.

[00:32:59] The Mariners

[00:33:00] sign Haesong

[00:33:01] Kim.

[00:33:01] Throw out

[00:33:02] the home

[00:33:02] runs,

[00:33:03] because he's

[00:33:03] not hitting

[00:33:03] 22.

[00:33:04] 22.

[00:33:05] Is he going

[00:33:06] to beat

[00:33:06] those marks,

[00:33:07] or is he

[00:33:07] going to go

[00:33:07] below those

[00:33:08] marks?

[00:33:10] Before I

[00:33:10] answer that

[00:33:10] question,

[00:33:11] you said he's

[00:33:12] not going to

[00:33:12] hit 22

[00:33:12] home runs.

[00:33:13] Will he

[00:33:13] hit five

[00:33:14] home runs?

[00:33:16] I could

[00:33:17] believe him

[00:33:17] hitting five.

[00:33:20] With increased

[00:33:20] velocity also

[00:33:21] comes with

[00:33:22] the ball going

[00:33:23] a lot farther.

[00:33:25] Is he going to

[00:33:26] barrel up that

[00:33:27] velocity?

[00:33:29] Well,

[00:33:30] the one thing

[00:33:30] he did do

[00:33:31] this last year

[00:33:31] while his

[00:33:32] WRC Plus

[00:33:32] went down,

[00:33:33] he did

[00:33:33] improve his

[00:33:34] launch angle.

[00:33:36] Let's not

[00:33:37] get it twisted,

[00:33:37] he does not

[00:33:38] hit the ball

[00:33:38] hard at all.

[00:33:40] He is

[00:33:40] bottom 10%.

[00:33:42] It's like

[00:33:43] mid to

[00:33:43] low 80s

[00:33:44] when it comes

[00:33:44] to eggs

[00:33:44] of elo,

[00:33:45] that's bad.

[00:33:46] But he

[00:33:47] did hit the

[00:33:47] ball in the

[00:33:48] air a little

[00:33:48] bit.

[00:33:48] You don't

[00:33:49] need to hit

[00:33:49] the ball

[00:33:49] 120 miles

[00:33:50] an hour in

[00:33:51] the air

[00:33:52] to hit a

[00:33:52] home run.

[00:33:53] You just

[00:33:53] need to hit

[00:33:53] about 100

[00:33:54] and usually

[00:33:55] that'll get

[00:33:55] it over the

[00:33:56] fence.

[00:33:56] So five,

[00:33:57] yeah.

[00:33:58] Fine.

[00:33:59] Okay,

[00:34:00] so the number

[00:34:00] is,

[00:34:00] you said two

[00:34:01] wins above

[00:34:01] replacement and

[00:34:02] what?

[00:34:03] And a

[00:34:04] 209,

[00:34:05] 301,

[00:34:05] 357 slash

[00:34:06] line of

[00:34:07] 658 OPS.

[00:34:13] Two wins

[00:34:14] above replacement.

[00:34:14] It feels like

[00:34:15] you could push

[00:34:16] on that.

[00:34:16] That feels like

[00:34:17] about what

[00:34:17] he'd do.

[00:34:18] Okay,

[00:34:18] if you want

[00:34:18] me to say

[00:34:19] over on the

[00:34:19] war and

[00:34:20] say he'd

[00:34:20] be a

[00:34:21] 2.2

[00:34:22] win player

[00:34:23] because of

[00:34:23] his defense

[00:34:24] and speed,

[00:34:25] sure.

[00:34:26] I'll go

[00:34:26] slightly over

[00:34:28] on that.

[00:34:29] The offensive

[00:34:30] slash line,

[00:34:32] man,

[00:34:32] man,

[00:34:32] I don't

[00:34:32] know if

[00:34:33] he's

[00:34:33] putting up

[00:34:33] a 658

[00:34:34] OPS in

[00:34:35] year one.

[00:34:36] I really

[00:34:36] don't.

[00:34:37] Again,

[00:34:37] look at what

[00:34:38] you just

[00:34:38] outlined with

[00:34:39] Ha-Sung

[00:34:39] Kim.

[00:34:40] Again,

[00:34:40] this is

[00:34:40] Ha-Sung

[00:34:40] now,

[00:34:41] not

[00:34:41] Ha-Sung.

[00:34:41] I know

[00:34:41] it's a little

[00:34:42] confusing.

[00:34:43] But,

[00:34:43] like,

[00:34:44] Ha-Sung

[00:34:44] Kim,

[00:34:45] for example,

[00:34:45] despite him

[00:34:46] likely to miss

[00:34:47] the first

[00:34:47] month of the

[00:34:47] season with

[00:34:48] a shoulder

[00:34:48] injury,

[00:34:50] I would

[00:34:50] actually be

[00:34:51] thrilled if

[00:34:51] the Mariners

[00:34:52] signed

[00:34:52] Ha-Sung

[00:34:52] Kim.

[00:34:53] I think

[00:34:53] that'd be a

[00:34:54] great signing

[00:34:54] because he's

[00:34:55] now a proven

[00:34:55] big leaguer

[00:34:56] that plays

[00:34:57] phenomenal defense

[00:34:58] and at least

[00:34:58] puts up

[00:34:59] average offensive

[00:35:00] stats,

[00:35:00] which has,

[00:35:01] in his time

[00:35:02] as a big

[00:35:02] leaguer,

[00:35:02] at times made

[00:35:03] him things

[00:35:04] like a

[00:35:04] four-win

[00:35:04] player,

[00:35:05] which is

[00:35:05] really

[00:35:06] valuable.

[00:35:07] Ha-Sung

[00:35:08] Kim is not

[00:35:09] a proven

[00:35:09] big leaguer,

[00:35:10] and in year

[00:35:11] one,

[00:35:11] where there are

[00:35:12] serious things

[00:35:13] on the line

[00:35:13] here in 2025,

[00:35:15] do I think

[00:35:16] he's gonna

[00:35:17] put up a

[00:35:17] 658

[00:35:18] OPS?

[00:35:20] If I said

[00:35:21] yes,

[00:35:21] it would be

[00:35:21] with zero

[00:35:22] confidence,

[00:35:23] so I'm

[00:35:25] gonna go

[00:35:25] under on

[00:35:25] that.

[00:35:27] I would go

[00:35:28] under on

[00:35:28] those two.

[00:35:29] And I think

[00:35:29] his war will

[00:35:30] be somewhere

[00:35:31] between one

[00:35:32] and a half

[00:35:32] to two.

[00:35:33] But a

[00:35:34] one and a

[00:35:35] half war is

[00:35:35] about big

[00:35:36] league

[00:35:36] average.

[00:35:38] Which is

[00:35:39] great,

[00:35:39] but again,

[00:35:41] if you're

[00:35:43] accumulating

[00:35:43] wins of

[00:35:44] the team,

[00:35:45] that is

[00:35:45] obviously

[00:35:46] all in

[00:35:46] all a

[00:35:47] good thing.

[00:35:47] But what

[00:35:48] happens when

[00:35:48] you are

[00:35:49] physically

[00:35:49] taking at

[00:35:50] bats?

[00:35:51] That's

[00:35:51] the

[00:35:51] problem.

[00:35:52] That's

[00:35:52] why I'm

[00:35:53] sitting here

[00:35:53] all pissed

[00:35:54] off.

[00:35:54] Because

[00:35:55] they need

[00:35:55] offense,

[00:35:56] and this

[00:35:57] is not

[00:35:57] how you

[00:35:57] get it.

[00:35:58] And you

[00:35:58] have also

[00:35:59] then

[00:35:59] essentially

[00:36:00] used up

[00:36:00] a third

[00:36:01] of your

[00:36:01] made-up

[00:36:01] off-season

[00:36:02] budget on

[00:36:02] a guy

[00:36:03] who's

[00:36:03] not

[00:36:03] going to

[00:36:03] hit.

[00:36:04] again,

[00:36:05] it doesn't

[00:36:06] seem like

[00:36:07] this move

[00:36:08] is made

[00:36:08] to improve

[00:36:09] the offense.

[00:36:10] They know

[00:36:10] what they

[00:36:10] need to do

[00:36:11] to improve

[00:36:11] the offense.

[00:36:12] We'll

[00:36:12] know when

[00:36:13] they're

[00:36:13] trying to

[00:36:13] improve

[00:36:14] the offense

[00:36:14] if they

[00:36:14] want to.

[00:36:15] Right.

[00:36:16] However,

[00:36:17] I just

[00:36:18] want people

[00:36:18] to know

[00:36:18] that if

[00:36:19] they decide

[00:36:19] to sign

[00:36:19] Haesung Kim

[00:36:20] to this

[00:36:20] deal,

[00:36:21] you now

[00:36:21] essentially

[00:36:22] have $10

[00:36:22] million

[00:36:22] left to

[00:36:24] fill both

[00:36:25] corner infield

[00:36:26] spots and

[00:36:27] figure out

[00:36:27] how you're

[00:36:28] going to

[00:36:28] improve

[00:36:28] this offense.

[00:36:29] Because

[00:36:29] that's going

[00:36:30] to be your

[00:36:30] second base

[00:36:31] production

[00:36:31] until Cole

[00:36:33] Young gets

[00:36:33] called up.

[00:36:34] So second

[00:36:35] base is

[00:36:35] quote-unquote

[00:36:36] finished with

[00:36:37] for the

[00:36:37] offseason if

[00:36:38] the Mariners

[00:36:38] sign Haesung

[00:36:39] Kim.

[00:36:40] So now

[00:36:40] you have

[00:36:40] $10 million

[00:36:41] to try and

[00:36:43] address two

[00:36:43] power positions

[00:36:44] where you

[00:36:44] need real

[00:36:45] offense.

[00:36:46] It's not,

[00:36:47] I will say,

[00:36:48] it's not like

[00:36:48] there's a ton

[00:36:49] of great

[00:36:49] second baseman

[00:36:50] available.

[00:36:52] Again,

[00:36:53] Haesung Kim.

[00:36:55] Yeah,

[00:36:55] well,

[00:36:56] out of their

[00:36:56] budget.

[00:36:58] We haven't

[00:36:59] said it yet

[00:36:59] today.

[00:37:00] Not a smart

[00:37:01] strategy.

[00:37:01] Not a smart

[00:37:02] strategy.

[00:37:03] Can't sign

[00:37:03] free agents.

[00:37:04] But hey,

[00:37:04] they like

[00:37:05] trading in

[00:37:05] Brandon Lau,

[00:37:06] even though

[00:37:06] the Rays

[00:37:06] said he

[00:37:07] wasn't

[00:37:07] available,

[00:37:08] he's only

[00:37:08] got a

[00:37:08] year of

[00:37:08] control

[00:37:09] left.

[00:37:09] We know

[00:37:09] the Rays

[00:37:10] love

[00:37:10] trading.

[00:37:11] And he's

[00:37:12] old.

[00:37:13] Yeah,

[00:37:14] I'd be all

[00:37:15] for that.

[00:37:16] But if

[00:37:16] they sign

[00:37:17] Haesung,

[00:37:17] they're not

[00:37:18] trading for

[00:37:18] Brandon Lau.

[00:37:19] Right.

[00:37:20] No,

[00:37:20] they're not.

[00:37:23] Well,

[00:37:24] guess what,

[00:37:25] people?

[00:37:26] We might get

[00:37:27] to do this

[00:37:27] all over again

[00:37:28] in less than

[00:37:29] 24 hours if

[00:37:30] here on Friday

[00:37:31] he signs with

[00:37:32] the M's.

[00:37:33] So,

[00:37:33] if you think

[00:37:34] it's bad

[00:37:34] now,

[00:37:35] imagine what,

[00:37:36] like,

[00:37:36] this is me

[00:37:37] reacting to

[00:37:38] rumors so

[00:37:38] far.

[00:37:39] Imagine me

[00:37:40] when this,

[00:37:41] no,

[00:37:41] not when,

[00:37:42] if this

[00:37:42] becomes reality.

[00:37:44] Huh?

[00:37:45] I'm sure

[00:37:45] I'll be in

[00:37:45] a great

[00:37:45] mood.

[00:37:48] That's

[00:37:48] good.

[00:37:49] And you'll

[00:37:49] probably catch

[00:37:50] Lyle before

[00:37:50] he takes a

[00:37:51] nap tomorrow.

[00:37:53] That's true

[00:37:54] too.

[00:37:54] Might be

[00:37:54] grouchy.

[00:37:56] Be a

[00:37:57] miserable

[00:37:57] week to

[00:37:58] be a

[00:37:58] sports fan.

[00:37:58] Why,

[00:37:59] something's

[00:37:59] keeping me

[00:37:59] from my

[00:38:00] nap too?

[00:38:04] I will say,

[00:38:06] Lyle,

[00:38:06] the Mariners

[00:38:06] had an

[00:38:07] opportunity to

[00:38:07] upgrade their

[00:38:08] offense this

[00:38:08] offseason and

[00:38:09] they said

[00:38:09] no.

[00:38:11] Hmm.

[00:38:11] That's weird.

[00:38:12] Just note that.

[00:38:15] Yeah.

[00:38:15] That's super,

[00:38:16] that's,

[00:38:16] that's odd.

[00:38:17] I thought they

[00:38:18] were in a

[00:38:18] contention window.

[00:38:19] Oh,

[00:38:19] wait,

[00:38:20] they are.

[00:38:22] Just depends

[00:38:23] who you ask

[00:38:23] about that.

[00:38:25] I think

[00:38:26] everybody in

[00:38:27] the organization

[00:38:27] would say

[00:38:27] they're in a

[00:38:28] contention

[00:38:28] window.

[00:38:29] Hey,

[00:38:30] Jerry said

[00:38:31] people were

[00:38:31] saying they're

[00:38:31] really far

[00:38:32] off.

[00:38:34] When you

[00:38:34] do things

[00:38:35] like try

[00:38:35] to sign

[00:38:35] Haesung

[00:38:36] Kim to

[00:38:36] upgrade

[00:38:37] your

[00:38:37] offense,

[00:38:37] you are.

[00:38:41] All right,

[00:38:42] let's get

[00:38:42] to these

[00:38:42] rookie rumors.

[00:38:44] Yeah.

[00:38:45] That'll lift

[00:38:46] our spirits

[00:38:46] up a little

[00:38:47] bit more.

[00:38:47] Well,

[00:38:48] actually,

[00:38:48] maybe no

[00:38:49] guarantees.

[00:38:49] Oh,

[00:38:50] yeah,

[00:38:50] definitely.

[00:38:50] It definitely

[00:38:51] will.

[00:38:51] Right.

[00:38:51] The Mariners

[00:38:52] are on this

[00:38:52] list of

[00:38:53] of meeting

[00:38:54] with Roki,

[00:38:54] right?

[00:38:58] Do you

[00:38:58] see him?

[00:38:59] Wait,

[00:39:00] while I

[00:39:02] I don't

[00:39:02] see the

[00:39:03] Mariners on

[00:39:03] there.

[00:39:05] Well,

[00:39:05] that's super

[00:39:05] weird because

[00:39:06] didn't we

[00:39:07] hear that he's

[00:39:08] a he's one

[00:39:09] of their top

[00:39:09] targets this

[00:39:10] offseason and

[00:39:10] a huge priority

[00:39:11] for them?

[00:39:13] I did hear

[00:39:14] that.

[00:39:15] Yes.

[00:39:16] Now,

[00:39:17] is it

[00:39:17] possible the

[00:39:18] Mariners just

[00:39:18] aren't leaking

[00:39:19] anything out

[00:39:20] about their

[00:39:20] meetings with

[00:39:20] Roki Sasaki?

[00:39:21] Yeah,

[00:39:21] that's possible.

[00:39:23] But it is

[00:39:24] interesting all

[00:39:25] the teams that

[00:39:26] have been

[00:39:26] reported that

[00:39:27] have met

[00:39:27] with them,

[00:39:29] but the

[00:39:29] Mariners are

[00:39:30] nowhere to be

[00:39:30] found.

[00:39:31] Because look,

[00:39:31] the Mariners

[00:39:32] themselves don't

[00:39:32] leak anything,

[00:39:33] but it feels

[00:39:34] like these

[00:39:34] reports about

[00:39:35] where Sasaki's

[00:39:37] gone and what

[00:39:37] teams he's

[00:39:38] met with,

[00:39:38] they're coming

[00:39:39] out of Sasaki's

[00:39:40] camp.

[00:39:40] It's not

[00:39:40] from the team.

[00:39:41] No,

[00:39:41] it's the

[00:39:41] opposite.

[00:39:42] No,

[00:39:42] Sasaki's

[00:39:43] camp has

[00:39:44] refused to

[00:39:45] confirm if

[00:39:46] any team

[00:39:46] has met

[00:39:47] with Roki.

[00:39:48] Oh,

[00:39:48] that's

[00:39:48] interesting.

[00:39:49] I think

[00:39:50] that it

[00:39:51] actually makes

[00:39:51] a little bit

[00:39:52] more sense.

[00:39:52] If the

[00:39:52] Mariners met

[00:39:53] with him

[00:39:53] and just

[00:39:53] hid the

[00:39:54] information,

[00:39:55] we wouldn't

[00:39:55] hear about

[00:39:55] it.

[00:39:56] Well,

[00:39:56] then that's

[00:39:57] possible.

[00:39:57] Because again,

[00:39:57] the Mariners

[00:39:58] legitimately don't

[00:40:00] like information

[00:40:00] to get outside

[00:40:01] their building.

[00:40:01] There's a

[00:40:02] reason you

[00:40:03] don't ever

[00:40:03] see any of

[00:40:04] these

[00:40:04] reporters

[00:40:05] throwing out

[00:40:07] credible

[00:40:07] information on

[00:40:08] the Mariners

[00:40:08] have met

[00:40:09] with this

[00:40:10] person.

[00:40:11] And they're

[00:40:12] getting toward

[00:40:13] the final

[00:40:13] stages of

[00:40:14] a deal.

[00:40:15] You don't

[00:40:15] see that

[00:40:15] from the

[00:40:16] Mariners.

[00:40:16] You see

[00:40:16] teams like

[00:40:17] the Mets

[00:40:17] do that

[00:40:17] a lot.

[00:40:18] You see

[00:40:18] some other

[00:40:18] teams do

[00:40:19] that a lot.

[00:40:19] Not really

[00:40:20] the Mariners.

[00:40:21] So,

[00:40:22] if that's

[00:40:22] the case

[00:40:23] and Roki's

[00:40:24] camp is not

[00:40:25] leaking out

[00:40:25] who he's

[00:40:25] met with,

[00:40:26] then maybe

[00:40:27] he has

[00:40:27] met with

[00:40:27] the Mariners.

[00:40:30] We listed

[00:40:30] off the

[00:40:31] teams before.

[00:40:32] I'll list

[00:40:32] them off again.

[00:40:33] Dodgers,

[00:40:33] Padres,

[00:40:34] Rangers,

[00:40:35] Yankees,

[00:40:36] Mets,

[00:40:36] Cubs,

[00:40:37] Giants.

[00:40:37] Those are

[00:40:37] the teams

[00:40:38] that have

[00:40:40] been publicly

[00:40:41] recorded.

[00:40:42] Let me try

[00:40:43] that again.

[00:40:45] Publicly

[00:40:46] reported

[00:40:46] that Roki

[00:40:47] has met

[00:40:48] with them,

[00:40:48] which is

[00:40:49] great.

[00:40:49] He might

[00:40:49] have met

[00:40:50] with a

[00:40:50] couple of

[00:40:50] other teams

[00:40:51] that have

[00:40:51] decided not

[00:40:51] to disclose

[00:40:52] that information.

[00:40:54] Roki's side

[00:40:54] not confirming

[00:40:55] really anything.

[00:40:57] 20 teams

[00:40:58] submitted stuff.

[00:40:58] I would imagine

[00:40:59] the Mariners

[00:40:59] were in on

[00:41:00] that group

[00:41:00] given what

[00:41:01] they said.

[00:41:02] So,

[00:41:02] like,

[00:41:03] at this point,

[00:41:05] you know,

[00:41:06] we see all

[00:41:06] these teams

[00:41:07] we haven't

[00:41:08] heard anything

[00:41:09] else connecting

[00:41:11] the Mariners

[00:41:12] and Roki.

[00:41:13] Like,

[00:41:13] at this point,

[00:41:14] it sounds like

[00:41:14] Roki's back

[00:41:15] in Japan

[00:41:15] for the

[00:41:16] winter.

[00:41:16] So,

[00:41:17] once the

[00:41:17] new year,

[00:41:18] now that

[00:41:18] it's January,

[00:41:20] he's not

[00:41:20] going to be

[00:41:20] in Japan

[00:41:21] the entire

[00:41:21] winter because

[00:41:22] his posting

[00:41:25] window expiration

[00:41:26] is January

[00:41:27] 23rd.

[00:41:28] So,

[00:41:28] he'll have

[00:41:28] eight days

[00:41:29] after the

[00:41:29] new signing

[00:41:30] period starts

[00:41:31] to sign

[00:41:32] with another

[00:41:32] team.

[00:41:35] So,

[00:41:35] he's going

[00:41:35] to come

[00:41:36] back and

[00:41:36] use these

[00:41:37] next couple

[00:41:37] weeks,

[00:41:38] I would

[00:41:38] imagine,

[00:41:38] to go visit

[00:41:39] a couple

[00:41:39] of cities.

[00:41:39] That's what's

[00:41:40] been reported

[00:41:41] and then he's

[00:41:41] going to make

[00:41:42] his decision

[00:41:43] on where

[00:41:44] to go.

[00:41:44] I do

[00:41:45] wonder if

[00:41:46] the Mariners

[00:41:46] do have

[00:41:47] any chance

[00:41:47] of this,

[00:41:48] if we would

[00:41:48] hear anything

[00:41:49] until he

[00:41:49] signs.

[00:41:50] Like,

[00:41:51] someone going

[00:41:51] to stalk

[00:41:52] him at

[00:41:53] SeaTac?

[00:41:54] Remember

[00:41:55] last year

[00:41:56] when the

[00:41:56] Shohei stuff

[00:41:57] started getting

[00:41:58] real interesting

[00:41:59] with the

[00:42:00] 1 for 65

[00:42:00] report out there

[00:42:01] paired with

[00:42:02] the Mariners

[00:42:03] team store

[00:42:04] just happens

[00:42:05] to announce,

[00:42:06] oh,

[00:42:06] on December

[00:42:07] 8th,

[00:42:07] we're going

[00:42:08] to be closed

[00:42:08] today.

[00:42:09] And just

[00:42:11] like how

[00:42:11] the Dodgers

[00:42:11] did that,

[00:42:12] the day

[00:42:12] Shohei came

[00:42:13] into town

[00:42:13] to meet

[00:42:14] so nobody

[00:42:14] could see

[00:42:15] him and

[00:42:15] it was

[00:42:15] private,

[00:42:15] and we

[00:42:16] started

[00:42:16] joking

[00:42:16] last year,

[00:42:17] who's

[00:42:18] meeting up

[00:42:18] with us

[00:42:18] for a

[00:42:19] tailgate

[00:42:19] outside of

[00:42:20] T-Mobile

[00:42:20] Park on

[00:42:21] Saturday,

[00:42:21] December

[00:42:22] 8th?

[00:42:23] Welcome

[00:42:23] Shohei

[00:42:23] with open

[00:42:24] arms.

[00:42:25] Yeah,

[00:42:26] is anybody

[00:42:26] going to do

[00:42:27] anything

[00:42:27] like that?

[00:42:27] I will say,

[00:42:28] I bet you

[00:42:29] it may be

[00:42:31] somebody

[00:42:32] that's a

[00:42:32] Mariners fan,

[00:42:33] it could be

[00:42:33] some fan

[00:42:34] of another

[00:42:34] team,

[00:42:35] just depending

[00:42:35] on where

[00:42:35] he goes

[00:42:36] and what

[00:42:36] cities he

[00:42:36] visits.

[00:42:37] Who's going

[00:42:38] to get

[00:42:38] the iPhone

[00:42:39] footage of

[00:42:40] Roki Sasaki

[00:42:41] walking around

[00:42:41] a city,

[00:42:42] posted on

[00:42:42] Twitter,

[00:42:42] and people

[00:42:43] explode over

[00:42:43] it?

[00:42:45] It's got

[00:42:45] to be in

[00:42:45] LA.

[00:42:46] Probably.

[00:42:48] Probably.

[00:42:49] Because, I

[00:42:49] mean, we know

[00:42:50] he's going to

[00:42:50] visit LA.

[00:42:52] Well, of

[00:42:52] course, I mean,

[00:42:53] that's where

[00:42:53] Wasserman is.

[00:42:54] That's where

[00:42:55] he's been

[00:42:55] working out.

[00:42:56] That's where

[00:42:56] Wasserman is,

[00:42:57] and you know

[00:42:57] he's going

[00:42:58] to at least

[00:42:58] go see

[00:43:00] Dodger Stadium

[00:43:01] and meet

[00:43:01] with the

[00:43:01] Dodgers,

[00:43:02] etc.

[00:43:03] If he signs

[00:43:03] there or not,

[00:43:04] it feels like

[00:43:04] there's a good

[00:43:05] chance, but

[00:43:06] he will at

[00:43:06] least go.

[00:43:08] So we know

[00:43:09] based off of

[00:43:09] these Roki

[00:43:10] sweepstakes,

[00:43:10] there's two

[00:43:11] possible outcomes

[00:43:11] for this

[00:43:12] Roki Sasaki

[00:43:13] situation.

[00:43:13] One, he

[00:43:15] signs with

[00:43:15] the Mariners,

[00:43:16] and two,

[00:43:16] he doesn't

[00:43:17] sign with

[00:43:17] the Mariners.

[00:43:18] And I

[00:43:18] think there's

[00:43:18] a positive

[00:43:19] to each

[00:43:20] side of

[00:43:21] that decision.

[00:43:22] If he

[00:43:23] somehow

[00:43:24] decides to

[00:43:25] choose the

[00:43:25] Mariners,

[00:43:26] even though

[00:43:26] I can't

[00:43:27] find a single

[00:43:27] list out there

[00:43:28] from any

[00:43:29] reporter that

[00:43:29] puts the

[00:43:30] Mariners in

[00:43:31] the top

[00:43:31] five, top

[00:43:32] six, top

[00:43:32] seven, top

[00:43:33] eight in

[00:43:34] terms of

[00:43:34] likely suitors

[00:43:35] for Roki

[00:43:36] Sasaki.

[00:43:38] So they

[00:43:39] would sign

[00:43:40] him and

[00:43:40] he would

[00:43:40] have a

[00:43:42] 23-year-old

[00:43:43] fireballer who's

[00:43:43] going to be the

[00:43:44] ace of the

[00:43:44] rotation in

[00:43:45] two years

[00:43:46] making league

[00:43:47] minimum.

[00:43:47] Fantastic.

[00:43:48] Or, he

[00:43:50] doesn't sign

[00:43:50] with Seattle,

[00:43:51] but now you

[00:43:52] know of,

[00:43:53] if we take a

[00:43:54] look at our

[00:43:54] list of

[00:43:55] six,

[00:43:56] five teams

[00:43:57] that want a

[00:43:59] starting pitcher

[00:44:00] that will

[00:44:01] now need

[00:44:01] one and

[00:44:01] they will

[00:44:02] have missed

[00:44:02] out on the

[00:44:02] best one

[00:44:03] on the

[00:44:03] market and

[00:44:04] now might

[00:44:04] be a little

[00:44:05] bit more

[00:44:05] desperate to

[00:44:07] come calling

[00:44:07] back to the

[00:44:08] Mariners for

[00:44:08] Luis Castillo.

[00:44:10] So I combed

[00:44:12] through this list.

[00:44:12] I was trying to

[00:44:13] find, all right,

[00:44:14] what teams would

[00:44:16] the Mariners want

[00:44:16] a player from?

[00:44:17] That would be,

[00:44:18] I said,

[00:44:19] 1% realistic.

[00:44:20] If it's 0%

[00:44:21] chance, then I

[00:44:22] took it off the

[00:44:23] table.

[00:44:24] And I came

[00:44:24] down to three

[00:44:25] options here out

[00:44:25] of this list.

[00:44:26] We talked about

[00:44:27] the Giants and

[00:44:28] Tyler Fitzgerald

[00:44:29] last week.

[00:44:30] The New York

[00:44:31] Mets and Mark

[00:44:31] Vientos, which is

[00:44:32] probably a tenth

[00:44:33] of a percent

[00:44:34] of chance, but

[00:44:35] I'm going to

[00:44:35] put that in there

[00:44:36] anyway.

[00:44:36] And then the

[00:44:36] Chicago Cubs,

[00:44:37] as we've talked

[00:44:38] about Nico

[00:44:38] Horner all

[00:44:39] offseason,

[00:44:40] with more

[00:44:41] attached,

[00:44:42] coming back

[00:44:43] to the Mariners

[00:44:43] and the Mariners

[00:44:44] sending Luis

[00:44:45] Castillo to

[00:44:45] Chicago.

[00:44:46] For the other

[00:44:47] teams, the

[00:44:48] Mariners aren't

[00:44:49] trading Luis

[00:44:49] Castillo to the

[00:44:50] Rangers.

[00:44:51] I don't think

[00:44:52] the Padres would

[00:44:53] trade someone

[00:44:53] like Jackson

[00:44:54] Merrill, who

[00:44:55] is unbelievable

[00:44:56] and going to

[00:44:57] be 22 next

[00:44:58] year.

[00:44:58] They have no

[00:44:58] reason to

[00:44:59] trade him.

[00:44:59] Let me even

[00:45:01] go take it a

[00:45:01] step further

[00:45:02] than that.

[00:45:02] You say you

[00:45:02] don't think?

[00:45:03] No, the

[00:45:03] Padres will

[00:45:04] not do that.

[00:45:05] They will

[00:45:05] not.

[00:45:07] Especially

[00:45:07] because the

[00:45:08] Padres are

[00:45:08] currently trying

[00:45:08] to shed

[00:45:09] salary.

[00:45:10] Right.

[00:45:11] And Jackson

[00:45:12] Merrill makes

[00:45:12] league minimum.

[00:45:13] On top of

[00:45:14] that, the

[00:45:15] last team, the

[00:45:16] Yankees, I

[00:45:18] can't think of

[00:45:18] a young, up-and-coming

[00:45:21] everyday player on

[00:45:22] the roster the

[00:45:22] Mariners would

[00:45:23] want from the

[00:45:24] Yankees.

[00:45:25] So, that's the

[00:45:26] list.

[00:45:27] Do any of those

[00:45:28] three intrigue you

[00:45:30] or one of the

[00:45:30] teams that I

[00:45:31] said had no

[00:45:32] chance?

[00:45:34] You think the

[00:45:35] Yankees would

[00:45:36] think about trading

[00:45:37] Anthony Volpe for

[00:45:38] Luis Castillo?

[00:45:40] Do you want

[00:45:40] Anthony Volpe?

[00:45:42] He hasn't been

[00:45:43] great, but he's

[00:45:43] still so young.

[00:45:44] I would be

[00:45:45] interested.

[00:45:47] Bad.

[00:45:47] Bad.

[00:45:48] I'm not saying

[00:45:49] I'd be fired

[00:45:50] up, but I'd be

[00:45:51] intrigued.

[00:45:51] You're still

[00:45:52] talking about a

[00:45:53] guy that was a

[00:45:53] top three prospect

[00:45:55] in baseball.

[00:45:58] Like, all the

[00:45:59] issues, excuse

[00:46:01] me, that Anthony

[00:46:02] Volpe has had as a

[00:46:03] big leaguer, I

[00:46:04] don't think those

[00:46:05] get solved playing

[00:46:06] at T-Mobile

[00:46:07] Park.

[00:46:08] Like, a small

[00:46:11] shortstop that

[00:46:12] one of his

[00:46:12] tools, he had a

[00:46:14] power tool in the

[00:46:14] minors, no?

[00:46:15] No.

[00:46:16] He still put up

[00:46:17] in per fan

[00:46:19] reference, three

[00:46:20] and a half wins

[00:46:20] last year.

[00:46:21] His defense is

[00:46:22] still pretty good,

[00:46:23] right?

[00:46:23] Good.

[00:46:24] He's got value.

[00:46:26] And again, so

[00:46:27] look at this.

[00:46:28] This is just on

[00:46:28] reference if you

[00:46:29] want to use fan

[00:46:30] graphs over

[00:46:30] baseball reference.

[00:46:31] I'll pull it up.

[00:46:31] That's fine.

[00:46:32] But, in his age

[00:46:33] 22 and 23 season,

[00:46:35] while he has not

[00:46:35] wowed anybody with

[00:46:36] his bat, at least

[00:46:37] not yet, his rookie

[00:46:39] year, he still hit

[00:46:39] 20 homers.

[00:46:41] He was a 2020

[00:46:43] guy his rookie

[00:46:43] year while putting

[00:46:45] three war.

[00:46:46] And in year two

[00:46:47] was a 23-year-old

[00:46:48] 3.4 war.

[00:46:51] Like, there's

[00:46:52] some interest there.

[00:46:52] He's at 3.4 on

[00:46:53] fan graphs too.

[00:46:54] And he's got 21

[00:46:55] defensive runs saved

[00:46:56] at shortstop, which

[00:46:57] is significantly

[00:46:58] better than the

[00:46:58] Mariners have

[00:46:59] gotten at shortstop

[00:47:00] with J.P.

[00:47:00] Crawford the last

[00:47:01] couple of years.

[00:47:02] I might think

[00:47:03] about that.

[00:47:03] I'm going to be

[00:47:04] honest with you.

[00:47:06] And I will note

[00:47:08] this as well with

[00:47:09] T-Mobile Park when

[00:47:10] it comes to home

[00:47:10] runs.

[00:47:11] Home runs aren't

[00:47:11] really the problem

[00:47:13] with T-Mobile Park.

[00:47:13] It's everything

[00:47:14] else.

[00:47:15] Yeah, that's what

[00:47:16] everybody's now coming

[00:47:17] to the conclusion of.

[00:47:18] And that's what

[00:47:18] everybody's saying.

[00:47:19] It's not the home

[00:47:20] runs that kill

[00:47:21] people.

[00:47:21] It's line drives

[00:47:23] stay up too long

[00:47:24] in Seattle.

[00:47:25] They hang up.

[00:47:26] Which I can't

[00:47:27] imagine helps

[00:47:28] Volpe because the

[00:47:29] home runs haven't

[00:47:30] been the problem for

[00:47:31] him.

[00:47:33] I'll tell you

[00:47:33] what.

[00:47:35] Way rather have

[00:47:36] Anthony Volpe than

[00:47:37] Haesung Kim.

[00:47:37] However, the fact

[00:47:38] it would cost you

[00:47:39] Luis Castillo is

[00:47:40] where things get,

[00:47:41] you know, tricky.

[00:47:42] He's also stolen

[00:47:44] 52 bases and

[00:47:45] only been caught

[00:47:46] 12 times.

[00:47:46] That's pretty good.

[00:47:47] He's got like,

[00:47:48] he's definitely

[00:47:49] got the tools and

[00:47:50] he's by the

[00:47:52] technical sense

[00:47:53] improving

[00:47:54] offensively from

[00:47:55] an 82 WRC

[00:47:56] plus to an 86

[00:47:58] WRC plus in

[00:47:59] his second season.

[00:48:02] But selling

[00:48:03] your fan base on

[00:48:05] Louis, on

[00:48:05] Anthony Volpe

[00:48:06] while trading

[00:48:07] away Luis

[00:48:08] Castillo now

[00:48:10] is tough.

[00:48:12] It'd be a tough

[00:48:13] one.

[00:48:13] It is.

[00:48:14] It's very tough

[00:48:15] and maybe it

[00:48:16] wouldn't happen.

[00:48:17] But if you're

[00:48:17] trying to throw

[00:48:18] out names,

[00:48:19] because here's

[00:48:19] the thing,

[00:48:20] right?

[00:48:21] You throw out

[00:48:22] Lamont Wade and

[00:48:23] Tyler Fitzgerald or

[00:48:24] you threw out

[00:48:24] Fitzgerald alone

[00:48:25] for Castillo.

[00:48:27] Fitzgerald had an

[00:48:27] awesome half a

[00:48:29] season, 60 games,

[00:48:32] whatever you want

[00:48:32] to call it.

[00:48:34] He's still pretty

[00:48:35] unproven.

[00:48:35] There's not a lot

[00:48:36] of sample size

[00:48:37] there on Tyler

[00:48:38] Fitzgerald.

[00:48:38] It could be just

[00:48:39] lightning in a

[00:48:40] bottle that he

[00:48:40] had this past year.

[00:48:41] And he's older.

[00:48:42] And he's older.

[00:48:43] So that's one.

[00:48:45] Nico Horner,

[00:48:46] look, he'd be

[00:48:46] awesome.

[00:48:48] But the Cubs

[00:48:49] don't really have

[00:48:50] the space right

[00:48:50] now to trade an

[00:48:51] infielder.

[00:48:51] Now if they sign

[00:48:52] Alex Bregman and

[00:48:53] they say they're

[00:48:54] kind of in the

[00:48:54] sweepstakes for

[00:48:55] him, then maybe

[00:48:56] it gets, it

[00:48:58] becomes possible

[00:48:59] because Bregman

[00:48:59] has said he'd be

[00:49:00] open to playing

[00:49:01] other positions.

[00:49:01] So if Bregman

[00:49:02] were to sign with

[00:49:03] the Cubs, they're

[00:49:03] going to leave

[00:49:04] Paredes at third.

[00:49:05] Oh wait, no,

[00:49:05] Paredes is gone.

[00:49:06] What am I saying?

[00:49:07] So yeah, if Bregman

[00:49:08] were to play third

[00:49:08] and they have a

[00:49:09] chance to then move

[00:49:10] Horner for Luis

[00:49:11] Castillo, maybe

[00:49:11] they'd think about

[00:49:12] it.

[00:49:13] But I think the

[00:49:14] Cubs have to do

[00:49:15] more with their

[00:49:16] infield than they

[00:49:16] currently have for

[00:49:17] them to move away

[00:49:18] from Nico Horner.

[00:49:19] Right now I don't

[00:49:19] think they have the

[00:49:20] resources to do

[00:49:20] that.

[00:49:21] So that's two of

[00:49:22] the three right

[00:49:23] there.

[00:49:23] I'm trying to

[00:49:24] think about some

[00:49:24] other ideas here

[00:49:25] and I could talk

[00:49:27] myself into Anthony

[00:49:28] Volpe.

[00:49:29] Again, yes, he is

[00:49:30] not an established

[00:49:31] like impact big

[00:49:32] league bat yet.

[00:49:33] He does already

[00:49:34] have value.

[00:49:36] three prospect.

[00:49:37] He's going to be

[00:49:38] 24 years old with

[00:49:39] four years of

[00:49:40] club control.

[00:49:41] Is that a

[00:49:42] straight up swap?

[00:49:45] Probably.

[00:49:48] Again, you're still

[00:49:49] talking about Volpe as

[00:49:50] a three and a half

[00:49:51] win player.

[00:49:52] Right.

[00:49:53] Well, if you're

[00:49:54] selling it in that

[00:49:54] case, Yankees might

[00:49:56] want more back.

[00:49:58] Yeah.

[00:50:00] Then you can throw

[00:50:01] in a prospect too.

[00:50:02] If you look at it

[00:50:03] from the Yankees

[00:50:03] perspective, I don't

[00:50:04] know if it benefits

[00:50:05] them at all to let

[00:50:07] Anthony Volpe go at

[00:50:08] this point because

[00:50:09] they missed.

[00:50:10] Now, if they had

[00:50:11] cashed in on the

[00:50:12] shortstop market like

[00:50:13] we had assumed they

[00:50:14] would when there was

[00:50:15] all those big free

[00:50:16] agent shortstops on

[00:50:17] the market the last

[00:50:17] couple of years,

[00:50:18] Correa, Trey Turner,

[00:50:21] Xander Bogarts,

[00:50:22] et cetera.

[00:50:23] Those guys were on

[00:50:24] the market and I

[00:50:25] know the Yankees

[00:50:26] were in trying to sign

[00:50:27] those guys and they

[00:50:28] weren't able to.

[00:50:30] So that would have

[00:50:30] made Volpe a little

[00:50:31] bit more expendable.

[00:50:32] And then now it could

[00:50:32] be a super obvious

[00:50:33] when it's like,

[00:50:34] all right, give them

[00:50:35] a new environment.

[00:50:36] There's less pressure

[00:50:37] here in Seattle.

[00:50:38] Just go be yourself.

[00:50:39] That's what happened

[00:50:40] to J.P. Crawford and

[00:50:41] J.P. eventually

[00:50:42] flourished to have the

[00:50:43] 2023 season as a

[00:50:44] former top prospect,

[00:50:45] a former top three

[00:50:46] prospect, just like

[00:50:48] Anthony Volpe.

[00:50:50] You just can't really

[00:50:51] sell that to your fan

[00:50:52] base right now,

[00:50:53] unfortunately.

[00:50:54] But given the

[00:50:55] situation the Mariners

[00:50:56] have put themselves in,

[00:50:57] you don't really have

[00:50:57] any other choices.

[00:50:58] Someone like that is

[00:50:59] available.

[00:51:01] Could take a swing at

[00:51:02] it.

[00:51:03] The other thing too

[00:51:04] with the Yankees and

[00:51:05] looking at Roki

[00:51:05] Sasaki, just talking

[00:51:07] this through more,

[00:51:08] is they may be looking

[00:51:10] at Roki Sasaki like a

[00:51:11] lot of teams are,

[00:51:12] where it's essentially

[00:51:14] you know, an add-on

[00:51:17] piece, an unbelievable

[00:51:18] add-on piece, but it's

[00:51:20] essentially just, you

[00:51:22] know, they're doing it

[00:51:23] out of just pure talent,

[00:51:25] not out of need.

[00:51:26] It's just like in the

[00:51:27] NFL draft when they say

[00:51:28] you draft best player

[00:51:30] available, you're not

[00:51:31] drafting for need.

[00:51:31] This would be the

[00:51:32] Yankees signing somebody

[00:51:33] at league minimum for

[00:51:33] need because you look

[00:51:34] through this rotation.

[00:51:35] Garrett Cole, Max

[00:51:37] Freed, Carlos Rodon,

[00:51:38] Luis Hill, Clark

[00:51:39] Schmidt, and then you

[00:51:39] still have Marcus

[00:51:40] Stroman.

[00:51:41] There's some dudes

[00:51:42] already there.

[00:51:44] Now with Roki, you're

[00:51:45] telling me you're

[00:51:45] supposed to keep

[00:51:46] signing talented players

[00:51:47] even after you're to

[00:51:48] have some?

[00:51:49] Well, that's weird.

[00:51:50] No, actually you're not.

[00:51:51] It's not a smart

[00:51:52] strategy.

[00:51:54] I guess we were told

[00:51:55] the opposite.

[00:51:55] No, again, we were

[00:51:57] told the opposite.

[00:51:58] We were told it's not a

[00:51:59] smart strategy.

[00:51:59] Therefore, it's not.

[00:52:00] I mean, you know, the

[00:52:02] organization that's made

[00:52:04] zero World Series clearly

[00:52:05] knows.

[00:52:05] Anyway, yes, the Yankees

[00:52:09] may just be looking at

[00:52:10] Roki Sasaki as somebody

[00:52:11] that could be an ace for

[00:52:12] them and a way to fill out

[00:52:14] a six-man rotation if it

[00:52:16] was possible that Roki was

[00:52:18] interested in playing

[00:52:18] there.

[00:52:19] I also don't think

[00:52:19] Sasaki is going to sign

[00:52:20] there because everything

[00:52:21] we listen to Joe Wolf

[00:52:22] talk about at the

[00:52:23] winter meeting says he

[00:52:24] may be looking for a

[00:52:25] softer landing spot.

[00:52:26] If the Japanese media

[00:52:28] really was as hard on

[00:52:28] Sasaki as his agent

[00:52:30] Joe Wolf outlined and

[00:52:32] that it took a toll on

[00:52:33] Roki a lot of the time,

[00:52:34] I don't know if going

[00:52:35] to New York and having

[00:52:36] to hear his name on

[00:52:37] WFAN all the time is

[00:52:39] exactly going to make

[00:52:40] it an easy landing spot

[00:52:41] for him.

[00:52:42] I don't want to call

[00:52:43] Joe Wolf a liar because

[00:52:44] he's working for his

[00:52:45] player, but I'm looking

[00:52:48] at these teams and

[00:52:50] soft landing.

[00:52:52] Yeah.

[00:52:54] Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs.

[00:52:56] It's not the soft

[00:52:58] landings, the Padres.

[00:52:59] Right.

[00:53:00] Otherwise, it's nothing

[00:53:04] soft about any of those

[00:53:05] landings.

[00:53:06] I was expecting to see

[00:53:07] someone random like the

[00:53:08] Rockies on there or the

[00:53:10] Reds or sorry, let's say

[00:53:12] the Rays, right?

[00:53:13] That's a pretty soft

[00:53:14] landing in a good pitching

[00:53:16] development organization.

[00:53:17] Guardians.

[00:53:18] Guardians, right.

[00:53:20] Soft.

[00:53:22] But yeah, there's nothing

[00:53:23] soft about those teams.

[00:53:24] So it's like, wow, I

[00:53:25] mean, I'm sure the quote

[00:53:26] sounded good.

[00:53:28] You don't you don't think

[00:53:29] that.

[00:53:31] Well, Frances is off the

[00:53:32] air now.

[00:53:32] Now Don LaGreca is off

[00:53:33] the air.

[00:53:34] I was going to say you

[00:53:34] don't think those guys

[00:53:34] are going to be nice to

[00:53:35] Rokey.

[00:53:36] Don's on the air.

[00:53:37] Oh, you're right.

[00:53:38] It's just Michael K.

[00:53:38] That's on.

[00:53:39] You don't think Don LaGreca

[00:53:40] is going to be nice to

[00:53:41] Rokey if Rokey starts out

[00:53:42] the year or starts out his

[00:53:43] career by struggling.

[00:53:47] Mike Frances has a

[00:53:48] podcast.

[00:53:49] You think Frances will be

[00:53:50] nice to him?

[00:53:50] I mean, he's a he's an

[00:53:51] no, he's an understanding

[00:53:53] guy.

[00:53:53] You think Mad Dog on his

[00:53:54] weekly appearances on first

[00:53:55] take will be nice to Rokey

[00:53:56] Saki if he struggles in New

[00:53:57] York.

[00:53:58] This guy stinks.

[00:54:02] Come to Seattle, Rokey.

[00:54:04] That's what I saw.

[00:54:04] Soft landing, but it would be

[00:54:06] nice.

[00:54:07] Can we just get a rumor,

[00:54:08] please?

[00:54:08] That'd be nice.

[00:54:09] Just to Rokey

[00:54:11] Sasaki had lunch at

[00:54:14] Salty's.

[00:54:15] Sure.

[00:54:16] Yeah.

[00:54:17] So a worker at Salty's

[00:54:19] snaps a photo of

[00:54:20] Jerry DePoto, John

[00:54:21] Stanton and Rokey

[00:54:23] Sasaki sitting at

[00:54:25] at Salty's.

[00:54:25] And Joe Wolf.

[00:54:26] Yeah.

[00:54:26] And Joe Wolf.

[00:54:27] Yeah.

[00:54:27] Yeah.

[00:54:28] So I'm down.

[00:54:29] I'm down.

[00:54:30] Well, we could do a whole

[00:54:31] episode on that.

[00:54:32] Oh, we absolutely.

[00:54:34] What are they eating?

[00:54:35] I mean, as somebody who's

[00:54:37] had that breakfast at

[00:54:38] Salty's before, it's

[00:54:39] pretty good.

[00:54:39] You get a lot of

[00:54:40] things.

[00:54:40] Yeah.

[00:54:40] That buffet they do at

[00:54:42] Salty's is insanity.

[00:54:44] Yeah.

[00:54:44] Yeah.

[00:54:44] It's pretty good.

[00:54:45] So yeah, Mariners, if

[00:54:46] you guys are listening,

[00:54:47] that's probably where you

[00:54:48] should go.

[00:54:49] And you should probably

[00:54:50] throw out some rumors so

[00:54:51] people have things to talk

[00:54:52] about.

[00:54:53] So yeah, not going to

[00:54:54] name any names, but

[00:54:56] it is.

[00:54:57] We are into 2025

[00:55:00] without a single addition

[00:55:02] to the big league roster.

[00:55:03] Yeah.

[00:55:05] Yes.

[00:55:05] Yes, we are.

[00:55:07] Who?

[00:55:08] I'll be interested to hear

[00:55:09] from you guys, by the

[00:55:10] way, on the Anthony

[00:55:11] Volpe thing, because

[00:55:11] that's a name.

[00:55:12] Not only have we not

[00:55:13] thrown out before, I was

[00:55:14] just thinking about it as

[00:55:15] we were talking here, but

[00:55:16] that's a name nobody's

[00:55:18] really thrown out.

[00:55:19] And again, maybe it's

[00:55:20] because the Yankees feel

[00:55:20] like unless they sign

[00:55:22] Roki Sasaki for league

[00:55:23] minimum, they feel like

[00:55:23] the rotation is set.

[00:55:26] But it's an interesting

[00:55:27] idea.

[00:55:28] Mariners need an infielder.

[00:55:29] Yankees might want more

[00:55:30] pitching.

[00:55:31] We know they were

[00:55:31] interested in Luis

[00:55:32] Castillo before.

[00:55:33] So let us know.

[00:55:34] Like, would you be

[00:55:35] interested in that?

[00:55:36] Yes or no?

[00:55:37] Tell us in the comments

[00:55:37] on YouTube or you can

[00:55:38] send us a DM.

[00:55:39] Last thing before we

[00:55:41] before we sign off here.

[00:55:42] If somehow he doesn't

[00:55:43] choose the Dodgers, is

[00:55:45] there anyone on that

[00:55:45] roster that you would

[00:55:47] want?

[00:55:49] On the Dodgers?

[00:55:50] Yeah, that you think

[00:55:51] makes sense for what

[00:55:52] Jerry DiPoto wants.

[00:55:53] If I'm going to be more

[00:55:54] specific.

[00:55:55] Not for Luis Castillo.

[00:55:58] Because the guys the

[00:55:59] Dodgers would probably be

[00:56:00] willing to trade away at

[00:56:01] this point.

[00:56:02] There could be some

[00:56:03] guys I'd be interested

[00:56:04] in them given a chance to,

[00:56:05] but not for the price of

[00:56:07] Castillo.

[00:56:07] For example, I know they

[00:56:10] have a lot of outfielders

[00:56:11] already, but especially if

[00:56:12] you're going to move

[00:56:12] Rayleigh to first.

[00:56:13] Would I be interested in

[00:56:15] the Mariners giving, like

[00:56:17] taking a shot on James

[00:56:18] Outman?

[00:56:19] Yes.

[00:56:20] He did not have a good

[00:56:20] year last year at all.

[00:56:22] His first year he was

[00:56:23] unbelievable.

[00:56:24] And he's kind of in a log

[00:56:25] jam now in LA with

[00:56:26] Teoscar there with, you

[00:56:28] know, with, I mean, with,

[00:56:29] I mean, I think Mookie's

[00:56:30] going to move back to the

[00:56:31] infield.

[00:56:31] But regardless, there's not

[00:56:33] a lot of spots to play on

[00:56:34] that team.

[00:56:34] So would I be interested

[00:56:35] in somebody like that?

[00:56:37] Sure.

[00:56:38] But not for the price of

[00:56:40] Castillo.

[00:56:41] No.

[00:56:41] Because Outman would not

[00:56:42] cost Luis Castillo at this

[00:56:43] point.

[00:56:44] Who would cost Luis?

[00:56:46] The closest guy I could

[00:56:48] even think of that they

[00:56:48] would actually part ways

[00:56:50] with maybe is Gavin Lux,

[00:56:52] but I don't know if that's

[00:56:53] enough of a return for

[00:56:54] Luis Castillo.

[00:56:55] Or if you wanted a pitcher

[00:56:57] back to fill the spot,

[00:56:59] which again, I know you

[00:57:00] trade Luis to upgrade the

[00:57:02] offense, but if we're just

[00:57:03] talking valuations, it's

[00:57:04] someone like, I know he

[00:57:05] stunk last year, but Bobby

[00:57:06] Miller.

[00:57:07] So maybe you, if like

[00:57:08] there's been some speculation

[00:57:10] out there, which would make

[00:57:10] sense that if the Mariners

[00:57:11] were going to trade Luis,

[00:57:12] you would want some young

[00:57:14] controllable bat in your

[00:57:15] lineup and they'd want

[00:57:17] another controllable

[00:57:18] pitcher to offset moving

[00:57:20] Castillo rather than being

[00:57:22] forced to rely on Emerson

[00:57:24] Hancock, Logan Evans,

[00:57:25] Brandon Garcia, even though

[00:57:26] those guys could come up

[00:57:26] and be studs.

[00:57:27] And we think there's a

[00:57:28] chance they absolutely

[00:57:29] will.

[00:57:29] The Mariners for the time

[00:57:30] being in their eyes may

[00:57:32] still want a big league

[00:57:33] pitcher back.

[00:57:34] So if that's the kill and

[00:57:35] Emerson's a big league

[00:57:36] pitcher, I shouldn't say

[00:57:37] that, but he's been more of

[00:57:38] a swing man so far in his

[00:57:39] career.

[00:57:39] He's gone up and down

[00:57:40] between, you know,

[00:57:41] triple A and the big

[00:57:42] leagues.

[00:57:42] So anyway, to that point,

[00:57:45] if the Dodgers would trade

[00:57:46] Gavin Lux and Bobby Miller

[00:57:48] for Luis Castillo, would

[00:57:49] people do that?

[00:57:50] That could be something to

[00:57:51] think about.

[00:57:52] I would think about it.

[00:57:54] It would be quite a swing,

[00:57:56] but if we're talking about

[00:57:57] valuations and the idea

[00:58:01] rather instead of the

[00:58:02] execution of sustainability,

[00:58:03] it checks out.

[00:58:04] Right.

[00:58:05] Again, I do not want to

[00:58:06] trade Luis Castillo, but

[00:58:07] if they are going to do

[00:58:09] it, I'm just trying to

[00:58:10] think of packages.

[00:58:11] Yeah.

[00:58:12] So you could, yeah, you

[00:58:13] could think of a package

[00:58:14] from all of those teams

[00:58:16] right now.

[00:58:17] Those teams also need to

[00:58:18] be willing to play ball

[00:58:19] because it's in the, in

[00:58:21] the, in the ideation of

[00:58:23] you talk about the

[00:58:24] Yankees of them not

[00:58:25] signing Rokey because

[00:58:26] they need him just

[00:58:27] because he's available.

[00:58:29] Well, they're not going

[00:58:30] to go out and acquire a

[00:58:31] $20 million, $24

[00:58:32] million Luis Castillo and

[00:58:34] have to give something up

[00:58:35] for him.

[00:58:36] It just wouldn't make

[00:58:37] sense unless someone

[00:58:37] gets hurt.

[00:58:38] Right.

[00:58:39] Yeah, for sure.

[00:58:41] Well, we'll see what

[00:58:42] news transpires in the

[00:58:44] next few days.

[00:58:44] TJ, will we have a

[00:58:46] move by the time we

[00:58:48] record our next pod?

[00:58:51] I'm going to say yes,

[00:58:53] we're doing an

[00:58:54] emergency episode

[00:58:54] tomorrow.

[00:58:55] That's where my money

[00:58:56] is.

[00:58:57] I'm saying no because

[00:58:59] I'm doing the prayer

[00:59:00] circle, you know, light

[00:59:01] all the candles.

[00:59:02] High song.

[00:59:03] Kim will not be a

[00:59:04] Seattle Mariner.

[00:59:06] Yeah, I have a bad

[00:59:07] feeling for you, dog,

[00:59:08] that we're going to be

[00:59:09] sitting right back here

[00:59:10] in about, oh, I don't

[00:59:11] know, 14 hours doing

[00:59:13] this again.

[00:59:14] I'm going to be in such

[00:59:15] a great mood, such a

[00:59:17] great mood.

[00:59:19] So buckle up people

[00:59:20] because you're in for a

[00:59:22] treat if that happens.

[00:59:23] All right.

[00:59:24] That just about wraps up

[00:59:26] this edition of the

[00:59:26] Marine Layer Podcast.

[00:59:28] You guys know the

[00:59:28] drill.

[00:59:28] If you want to listen to

[00:59:29] the full form podcast,

[00:59:30] you can do so wherever

[00:59:31] you get your audio pod,

[00:59:32] make sure you're

[00:59:32] downloading, rate and

[00:59:34] review, leave a five

[00:59:34] star review.

[00:59:35] It really does help us

[00:59:36] out if you do.

[00:59:37] If you're watching on

[00:59:37] YouTube, make sure to

[00:59:38] like, comment, and

[00:59:39] please hit that

[00:59:40] subscribe button.

[00:59:41] Follow us everywhere on

[00:59:42] social media, Instagram,

[00:59:43] TikTok, Twitter, YouTube

[00:59:44] shorts, Blue Sky, at

[00:59:46] Marine Layer Pod, and

[00:59:47] also one final time, if

[00:59:53] you can find us a

[00:59:53] DM, send us an email.

[00:59:55] We would love to hear

[00:59:56] from you.

[00:59:57] MarineLayerPod at

[00:59:57] gmail.com.

[00:59:59] That's TJ.

[00:59:59] I'm Lyle.

[01:00:00] As always, we thank you

[01:00:01] guys for tuning in.

[01:00:02] We'll talk to you soon.