Episode 72: A Potential Blockbuster Addition At First Base, Eugenio Suarez Linked To The Toronto Blue Jays, And Fireworks Go Off At MLB's GM Meetings

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Welcome to episode number seventy two of the Marine Layer Podcast. Ayo henny O Suarez's name has been thrown out in trade rumors this week, and the Mariners have also been linked to Yondi Diaz and Jonathan India. A lot of interesting discussion there, a lion and I will touch on that. We'll also take a look around baseball with our MLB wrap Around. We hear from a couple of notable figures in the baseball community that spoke at the GM meetings this week. We'll close out the show with Speak your Mind. 00:00:28 Speaker 2: You're a reminder before we start the show to download our episodes, follow us, and leave us a five star review if you're listening wherever you get your audio side of the podcast. Those reviews and downloads help us out a bunch. Watch us on YouTube. Our full video podcast is there, Go like comment, subscribe on YouTube, and follow us on social media on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube shorts at Marine Layer Pod. 00:00:51 Speaker 1: Let's get it rolling, and we welcome you to this episode of the Marine Layer Podcast, part of the Just Baseball Podcast network, Recording here on Thursday, November ninth, and Lyle Jerry Depoto has spoken. 00:01:18 Speaker 2: Fifty four percent doing fans favors. No, he didn't say any of that this time. 00:01:23 Speaker 1: He actually didn't say anything. 00:01:26 Speaker 2: No, he really didn't say anything. I mean, he talked about the types of players that are trying to focus on this winner in terms of acquiring, whether it be traded or free agency. So he didn't say nothing. It certainly wasn't the bombshell that was his end of season press conference, and it certainly is not the Jerry Depoto we've gotten used to talking in a lot of these pressors in the past because he is usually very transparent and open and pretty willing to talk about a lot of different things. It felt like he was much more airing on the side of caution with this session, which makes sense, and he was especially airing on the side of caution with I would say one specific player. 00:02:03 Speaker 1: You did a great job this week of going and digging out some of his old Wheelhouse episodes when he was talking about courting show heyo Tani the first time, and I think we talked about this on the podcast before, but this week you went and posted on our Twitter account the actual clips of him talking about show Heyo Tani and said, oh yeah, I mean, we've been getting our stuff ready for over a year now. I mean, we have a booklet ready. We made him a movie. We made him like a famphlet of all the best things to eat and do in the city of Seattle, and YadA YadA, and the team history and all this stuff. And now at the GM meetings this week, they're like, so, Jerry interested in show heyo Tani is like, thirty teams are interested in show hayo Tani is like. And then there was a comment about specifics and he like, he literally just brushed it off. It was kind of funny to watch. It was very a very intentional sort of freezing of his personality at these GM meetings when there was a microphone in his face. 00:03:00 Speaker 2: The rumor has it O'tani didn't love the fact that the Mariners were so open about courting him last time. Was it the deciding factor? We don't know, but it's very apparent that their strategy has changed from twenty seventeen to now and how they're trying to go get them. Because again, like, if you're listening to this, we encourage you to go on our Twitter account and look up what we tweeted. Just a couple of days ago with all of these clippings from the very first episode of the Wheelhouse podcast. There's one little thing from the third episode where they talk about him a little bit, but it really is night and day because to your point, he got asked a couple of different times about Otani and he basically said, I'm not going to comment on it. Yeah, all thirty teams are interested or whatever. And then there was a follow up to that regarding Otani where someone said, don't you think you're gonna need to find out what his price range is gonna be if you're gonna be interested in them? And Jerry's like, presumably, And that's it, Like how often does Jerry to Poto give one liners? Most never? And then you go back and listen to those podcast episodes again, you can listen to what we kind of clipped and tweeted out, not just what TJ was talking about in regards to preparing a sales pitch for over a year with the movies and the books and everything, but he's talking about we're bringing the big guns out to talk to Tani. He's like, we're gonna have each yearro there, We're gonna have Sasaki there, we're gonna have like Ewa Kuma there, all these people that are gonna sit down and try and recruit him. And then he's and then, honestly, you know what's like kind of stood out to me the most was that final clipping that we put in that quadrant of show clips again. You can go check this out, Goldsmith says to him, Aaron Goldman's He's like, so, Jerry, where's otani at? He said, you were pretty public this week? And I was fascinated because in Goldsmith goes talking about how great the meetings went, and Jerry goes and you can tell he's kind of laughing about it. He's like, is that my phone ringing? I actually think I might have a call to go get to in Goldsmith laughing, and he's laughing. So Jerry, he's like, this dude thinks in his head like like it felt very very overly confident on his part. Back then it's like, oh, we're getting them, like like we're getting them, and I'm gonna make jokes about it. And then they get Burns to see what he's doing now to just wrap this up, because I know I've been talking here for a minute or two. It is so apparently different. 00:05:20 Speaker 1: Was that third episode not first week in December? I'm pretty certain that third episode was, like was that first week of December? And he signed I think literally later that week with the Angels. 00:05:31 Speaker 2: That was within at least ten days of him signing. That was very close to the time that he signed. 00:05:37 Speaker 1: Yeah, if I'm gonna draw comparison to this low, you'll get a chuckle at this. This is essentially Jerry to Poto. It's like he's treating show Heo Tani like the modern dating culture for twenty year olds. So instead of being the nice guy, which Jerry was in the twenty eighteen or twenty seventeen offseason, being the nice guy, you know, doing everything right, smiling, holding the door, getting shoeo Tani flowers, all this stuff. This time Jerry's breaking out a little bit more of his toxic self. When someone asked me, when someone asks him about shoe Heo Tani, he's gonna be like, I don't know who that is, expecting that Shoh's just gonna come to him after the attentions being ignored. That makes sense, doesn't it. I think that's what Jerry's breaking out. I think Jerry is breaking out a little bit more of his toxic self. 00:06:25 Speaker 2: He's trying to play hard to get. 00:06:26 Speaker 1: I get. Yeah, he's playing hard to get. He's keeping the Mariner, He's gate keeping the Mariners. That's what he's doing, at. 00:06:33 Speaker 3: Least to the public. Now. 00:06:35 Speaker 2: Behind closed doors, he could be down on his hands and knees begging Otani to please come sign with the mirrors. We'll give you whatever you want. But in the public eye, yeah, their perception and their approach is much different than six years ago, which is probably for the best. 00:06:52 Speaker 1: Do we know if Jerry survived the outbreak at the GM meetings? Apparently everyone what Everyone had the shits. Yes, I mean at least when Jerry talked the other day, seemed fine. But yeah, they had to call the GM meetings early because everybody got sick. That's crazy. At least again, at least John Hayman went in and out every day so he didn't get sick. We were really worried about him. John Hayman made sure to inform everybody today on Twitter he was fine after being at the GM meetings. Just what we were all concerned about. Nothing about Jerry Depoto, nothing about any of the GM's no John Hayman was fine, so I know you were glad to hear that, not. 00:07:29 Speaker 2: To mention the fact that fifteen minutes later he made it apparent in another tweet how often he is scrolling through his replies of everybody dunking on him, because he was very, very clearly offended by some of these Twitter trolls who try to give him a hard time because that was his very next tweet. It's like sick dude, like like we're all like grasping for straws at the life of John Hayman, Mariner's favorite. 00:07:52 Speaker 1: We can touch back on John Hayman and our MLB wrap around. There's a discussion that goes on in our MOLB wrap around that directly relates to him and a lot of other the New York Press. So let's get back to that. First lyle the rumors to come out of these GM meetings something that kind of caught us off guard when we were looking at it this week, a Henio Scores his name was thrown thrown around, reported by Ben Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet. That's Canada, by the way, they cover the Blue Jays, and it was Ben Nicholson Smith was saying that the Blue Jays. I don't know if they had how official they've checked in on, but Aohanno Scores his name was floated around as a person of interest for the Toronto Blue Jays. What do you think about that? 00:08:40 Speaker 3: I'm not shocked. 00:08:42 Speaker 2: Were you shocked to see that he was floated around in trade rumors. This is a guy who was a year left on his contract, and I'm sure some teams are interested. He's on the opposite end of thirty. I wasn't shocked to see that his name was thrown out there. 00:08:55 Speaker 1: I think it's an interesting, a curious fit there are there is a hole at third base of the Blue Jays. Matt Chapman's a free agent. I don't know if they're going to re sign him. I was also thinking about this in the Mariner sense, for seeing his name thrown around. I mean, we talked about Vlattie last week on our mail Bag episode as a potential trade candidate, but you couldn't acquire Vladimir Guerrero Junior for Aohenio Suarez, So like that idea gets thrown out the window. So I'm thinking on the other side of this, it's like, Okay, if this were actually to make sense on the Mariner side, who on the Blue Jays would you want? And I came down to four names on the blue Jays major league roster that I would want for Aohenio Suarez. George Springer potentially, Dalton var Show is another one that Jerry could like. And then the two catchers are one of the two catchers they have two that they like, Danny Jansen and Alejandro Kirk. That's those are the four guys. When I'm looking at it, I'm like, okay, those four makes sense in some form or fashion. Now, I didn't include any minor leaguers on this list because I'm just gonna make this clear. If Aohenio Suarez gets traded off the roster for minor league players, that's flat out bad baseball, and that's bad management for what the Mariners are gonna achieve next season. Just flat out bad if that were the case. So that's not even something I will consider in this. 00:10:20 Speaker 2: Oh, Maritiths fans are gonna start boycotting if they do that. 00:10:23 Speaker 1: And it's not like the Blue Jays have like a banger of a farm system. They have two top one hundred prospects, and yeah, it's like there's just not a whole lot of upside in that system that you can tap into. So those were bats. At least, I was more focused on bats the Mariners could trade for pitching. I think if the Mariners are going to acquire pitching this offseason, it's going to be signing pitching as opposed to trading for pitching. But if we're looking at four bats, that would make sense in some form or fashion on the Mariners. I think Springer varshow and then either of the two catchers, because as we know, the Mariners have an open backup catcher spot, and both those two guys flip around quite a lot, and they offer some each have a little bit up of upside in some capacity. 00:11:09 Speaker 2: What if the Mariners need some pressure in their tires, you want to trade for Alec Manoa. 00:11:14 Speaker 1: I forgot about him. He's his value is not very high right now, not at all. I feel like ao Henny might be an overpay for trading for Alec Manoa. 00:11:24 Speaker 2: While considering he was in like rookie flex league ball this year. Yeah, like I mean, and didn't even crack the playoff roster. He was just relegated to Triple A by the end of the year. Yeah, his values is about as low as it could be. 00:11:39 Speaker 3: It's funny. 00:11:40 Speaker 2: Okay, So now, in all seriousness you thought of poor guys, I just kept circling back to one, maybe two. The one guy that stood out to me is George Stringer. Bar show a little bit, because despite a bad offensive season, you're still talking about a dude that was nearly a four war player just from his defense and can play the corner outfield spots. So if the Mariners need corner outfielders, Arsha has got a chance to add some value. I don't really think the blue Jays would move on from him, though, which is why I tossed his name aside. More so because I don't think for a guy that isn't on some big contract is just going to start making our money, that the blue Jays would just get rid of him after a year. But there's just there's not a ton on this roster that makes a ton of sense for the Mariners. There's like the blue Jays roster in terms of the Mariner's needs. There's just not a whole lot that adds up. The one guy where I said, okay, maybe George Springer, right handed bat corner outfielder doesn't strike out a lot, walks a decent amount coming off what has been coming off what was not a good year for him, because he is usually putting out numbers that emulate that of a perennial All Star, where he did not do that in twenty twenty three. But if the Mariners like the idea of buying low, you think he could bounce back and you get three years of him and take on that contract in exchange for Gino, because that's what Springer has left on his deal, I may sense it'd. 00:13:01 Speaker 1: Be absorbing quite a bit of money, so twenty Well, it's about twenty four million dollars a year for the next three seasons for his age thirty five, thirty six, and thirty seven seasons. So if you think that's worth it, yes, this makes sense. There wasn't too much underlying that was overly concerning with George Springer. It was just some regression across the board. He's been a very consistently good hitter for pretty much every season of his career up until this past season. I'm I just don't I'm not totally sold on the idea of buying a guy at age thirty five to turn around again, and I keep going back into this, but into a really shitty hitting ballpark. I mean, it could not be a worse hitting ballpark for George Springer that he would get traded to. He's not a guy with a track record of incredible health and you move him to the corner outfield. He's almost a career center fielder. But they moved him into right field this season to ease him off his feet a little bit more. Obviously it didn't help out with his battle that much. And I'm just I'm just a little skeptical. I'm I don't know if I would buy a rebound of George Springer, which is why I would say, I don't know if this makes a whole lot of sense, because if you're gonna get a one hundred like WRC plus out of a hitter, which George Springer could give you next season, because he just had a one like one oh one, one o two this year. Fancrafts, by the way, I know, was looking up yesterday just was not working, not cooperating. Now, it was not a So I have a I have his ops plus which is one oh two, and it's WRC plus OPS plus usually pretty close, so we'll so we'll throw that in the in the same category. But I was saying, Lyle, if you want, uh, if you want like a one oh two WRC plus, like can't dom Canzone do that for you already next year? Like you already have that on your roster, and you wouldn't have to give him anything up for him And besides everything else I just mentioned with George Springer. So that's why when you think about Dalton Varshow, it's like, Okay, well, there's more defensive upside here, more war. But you were correct in saying, why would the Blue Jays give up on him? They just gave up a haul for him last year. Gabriel Moreno is a stud catcher for the Diamondbacks now and they gave him up to go get var Show last offseason, So it wouldn't make any sense. So that's why I'm sitting here thinking why thinking about that this is a very interesting and maybe not convenient fit for au Heniosuarez. 00:15:31 Speaker 2: So Springer will be a little bit younger than you're giving him credit for. It be thirty four to thirty five thirty six rather than thirty five, thirty six, thirty seven, because then he's about to enter his age thirty four season, and to his credit, for a guy that has had injury problems a lot of his career, last two seasons, for the most party has been on the field one hundred and fifty four games this past year, one thirty three the year before that, so he has been relatively healthy. And I'm just buying the idea that I don't think a one oh two WRC plus is who George Springer is. The ballpark factor is something to consider, but when you look at what he has done most of his career, ballparks have not held him down. You're talking about a guy that just mashes on a year by year basis, like truly mashes. And if you need to, Mariners kind of have a DH spot open right now. If you don't want George Springer out in the outfield for one hundred and twenty games, you can spend a lot of time at DH. 00:16:23 Speaker 3: I don't hate the fit. I really don't like. 00:16:25 Speaker 2: And I also don't think the Mariners would eat all twenty four million dollars a year that contract. I am sure that the Blue Jays would be taken on some of it, which would be that like hugely beneficial in this if not necessary. What is the hold up for me with this is, while I think of anybody on this team for Toronto, George Springer would be the best fit if the Mariners were going to flip Geno somewhere. But I think more of the hold up for me is why would the Mariners do this? Because then all of a sudden, you're shit out of luck with a third basement and there is nobody to fill Suarez's role next year. 00:16:58 Speaker 1: He got me. That's why I say this is odd. That's why this doesn't make any sense. 00:17:04 Speaker 2: This could be the This could be the Blue Jays just looking for potential third base help, calling and checking in everywhere they can. They sound like they want to bring Matt Chapman back. Will that happen? 00:17:14 Speaker 3: TBD. 00:17:15 Speaker 2: Matt Chapman's probably going to demand a lot of money in a market that is not very friendly to hitters and is not very deep for hitters, So he might get a big paycheck from somebody that the Blue Jays may not want to shell out. So if that's the case, Toronto may be looking for other options. Just because they checked in with the Mariners doesn't mean the Mariners are interested, and this just got reported out there. So again, I don't hate the idea of George Springer. I think it's more the idea of, well, who are the Mariners filling the spot with next year? Because right now there is absolutely nobody. If that ball rolls down to third base and Gino is not there. 00:17:47 Speaker 1: You could always do Josh Rojas in one spot and Ryan Blissen the other. You could. I would say, I don't think that's an acceptable starting lineup next year. Yes, I don't think. I don't think it is. No, I don't think it's a good idea either, So yeah, you're right. I think this does circle back to why would the Mariners do this? And that's why I think I threw in the catchers as well. The catchers make some sense, it's a less crowded position. The Mariners need a backup. Jansen and Kirka both had good seasons with the Blue Jays at the plate and behind the plate as well, so having that role, that backup catch role field could also be another option. But that's also somebody who's playing sixty games a year, eighty games a year. Maybe George Springer would play significantly more than that, and That's why I think Springer would be a more notable acquisition. I like your idea with the DHRO. I think that would I think if there would be anything for George Springer, I think it would be that. So I think it would keep him a little bit healthier. I do get a little tingling of AJ Pollock PTSD if if you're going after an outfielder with somewhat of an injury history that you're bringing in on a proven turn it around more aspect, George spring is a little bit better of a player than AJ Pollack is, but age catches up with you quickly. I mean, just ask Aj right. 00:19:11 Speaker 2: I think Springer is at least a couple steps above what AJ Pollock ever was, outside of that one big year he had with the Diamondbacks. I mean, look at this, So before twenty twenty three, George Springer had a WRC plus of one thirty or above in five of six seasons. He is a guy that puts up the numbers of a perennial All Star when he is on the field. So I would not quite put him in the AJ Pollock category. I understand what you're saying that you don't want to see somebody come in here who has somewhat of a track record and just totally fall off. I don't quite think Springer would do that if he was here, and I think he is much better than Pollack is as a hitter. But I do understand what you're saying if you don't want to be buying guys on the wrong end of thirty who are maybe starting to just trend down for the long haul rather than just one down year. 00:19:56 Speaker 1: And in the end, let me ask my final question about this. Does this move the needle? 00:20:02 Speaker 2: No, I don't think it does, right, I don't, okay. I think George Springer could cut down on some of the team's strikeouts. I think if he bounced back, it'd be a great bat to have in the lineup. But again, then there is nobody at third base. Because here's the truth. Gino when he was on fire throughout most of twenty twenty two put up a WRC plus pretty close to one thirty. So if he can bounce back because he had such a tough year at the plate this year, then maybe he just is George Springer at the plate. If he bounces back and gets back to the one twenty five to one to thirty range with his WRC plus. Maybe that is essentially George Springer, who also plays great third base defense. And I think in this scenario for the Mariners, that's the best course of action, rather than having a fillivoid at third base. 00:20:45 Speaker 1: And just trading players for the sake of trading players, which I feel like this trade would be. If they trade a unuo score as a way, I think that feels like what that would be, especially if that's the kind of your turn you're getting. Doesn't seem like it really contributes that much to increasing the success of the twenty twenty four season. And that's what these moves this offseason are supposed to do. There's again, it's not supposed to be shuffling. It's supposed to be improvements across the board. That's what we need to see. We need to see them get better, and this this scenario does not make them better. 00:21:17 Speaker 2: I think it makes most sense for Gino to state third That's probably what will happen. Hopefully bounces back and then they get Munat Takomura COMI next year. 00:21:26 Speaker 1: I'm down, Sign me up. 00:21:30 Speaker 2: Before we get to our next topic, quick pause to talk to you guys about our friends over at Pagatcha's Pub eighty five. Pagatcha's Pub eighty five in Kirkland. It's just east of four oh five. It's a great restaurant here in the area. And you want to go watch the games with your friends, you won't find many better places to do it. There are twenty two TVs in the place. We know baseball is over, but guess what. Football is certainly going strong. Basketball is going strong, Hockey's going strong. There's a ton of stuff going on. There's plenty to go watch with your friends, So head over there, and if you're there, make sure to order some food off the great menu. They have some awesome pizza along with plenty of other food options and a full drink menu. If you're there on the weekdays during some of those key hours, what can you do well? You can get some deals on happy hour specials. Those hours are Monday through Friday two to six pm. Happy Hour over at Pigotcha's Pub eighty five, which include three dollars domestic beers, four dollars Mannies, Blue Moons, four dollars Mac and Jack's, four dollars wells and four dollar housewiners. So some great food, great drinks, great times with your friends over at Pagatcha's Pub eighty five in Kirkland. Go check it out. So some names that the Mariners were linked to this week, getting away from Gino a little bit, some names that the Mariners may starting to be circling over. Per John Morosi, there was a couple that he reported this week. He was on MLB Network talking about it. He was on seven to ten Seattle Sports talking about it. There's two names that he mentioned. We're going to dive into both of them. We'll start off with number one. That's Jonathan India of the Cincinnati I certainly have some thoughts on this. 00:23:02 Speaker 3: I'm gonna throw it to you first. DJ. You hear this name, you think. 00:23:06 Speaker 1: What I'm thinking. Why I am curiously thinking why the Mariners would be interested in him? They would really have to think that he would bounce back. If you want a little bit of background on Jonathan India, he was exactly last year a league average hitter by ops plus two forty four three thirty eight four oh seven slash line worth just under one and a half Baseball Reference wins above replacement, a strikeout rate just a hair over twenty percent. That's below the league average. He walked just under ten percent of the time nine point eight percent of the time, that's a little bit above league average. He's three years into his major league career, so he's in his first year of arbitration in the twenty twenty four season, so he's starting to get a tiny bit more expensive. He's a former first round pick. He's an infielder in a crowded Reds infield. But I did just mention his hitting stats that are again league average, along with seventeen home runs that he hit last year. His defense is also not good. Baseball Savant does not like his defense eighth percentile and out above average fifteenth percentile in arm strength. So you're netting a league average hitter with bad defense who's probably probably would cost a decent amount of m to be honest, for what the Reds would want for him, because he's young, he's controllable, and he does have some upside. He does have good years in his big league careers. Rookie season was pretty good for the most part. He did win National League Rookie of the Year with the Reds in twenty twenty one, so there's reason that the Reds would hold his price out to be a little bit higher. I'm just not sure why the Mariners would pay the price to get Jonathan India. That part does not make much sense to me if they're honestly interested in him. 00:24:57 Speaker 2: So you did a deep dive there. You gave people the full peripheral view on Jonathan India. Here is my first note for Jonathan India in our prep that we did, at least the prep that I did. In a nutshell, Jonathan India does not hit, does not play defense. His numbers away from Cincinnati make him look like a fringe big leaguer. And on top of that, he would likely still cost a decent amount in a return, and that may be Bryce Miller. So you know what, I'm good. I am not interested in any way, shape or for him in Jonathan India playing in Zemble. 00:25:31 Speaker 1: His career numbers on the road are a little bit more balanced, I think, law. I think you're referencing the numbers he had last season in twenty twenty three, which you are correct. He was shit on the road last season, But for his career it's a little bit more balanced. I think there's only about a forty point difference in ops and for some hitters, especially when you hit in Great American Ballpark, that's how it's going to look because Great American Ballpark is the best hitters ballpark in baseball outside of Cours. But you were, I mean, you mentioned it, like why would they do this? Why would they do this? Like there are a couple of things the Mariners would like. He doesn't chase. His whiff is above league average. His eggs of velocity this season average eggs vlosity was actually better than it was in his twenty twenty one NL Rookie of the Year campaign when he won it back in twenty twenty one. I think the big difference this season he was in his twenty twenty one season, he was hitting the ball in the air and dead pulling it a lot more so he'd get a little bit more extra base and home run power pulling it to straight away left field. This season he went a little bit more straight away in the opposite field, which he doesn't have quite as much power too. There's a big gap if you look at his hit spray chart in this last season where he tried to do that that wasn't a very effective method this past season. If he was on the Mariners. That definitely wouldn't work with the ball definitely does not carry as much. And a guy who already has fringe power would have even less power in T Mobile Park, So this would be a cutting down on strikeouts. Move it would be somebody who could play on your infield and someone who's young. But that's where the positive stop with this, and it's struggling to find any more. 00:27:17 Speaker 2: Okay, yes, his career numbers on the road are a little bit better than what his twenty twenty three numbers were on the road. But I'm just going to turn this back around to you. You would if you're the Mariners, would you want to trade Bryce Miller for a guy that put up a six seventy nine ops away from the least away from the friendliest hitter ballpark in baseball, in Great American Ballpark and then put him in Seattle? Would you want to give up a starting pitcher with six years of club control for that? Because me, personally, absolutely not. 00:27:53 Speaker 1: No, No, I wouldn't, And I'd also be concerned. I'd be concerned how the Mariners would use him. He had hard reverse its last year. I mean hard. He hit righties extremely well, and he sucked against lefties. He was shit against lefties. Knowing the Mariners, he'd be in that lineup against lefties a lot. 00:28:13 Speaker 2: Which doesn't work because do you know what Josh Rojas does pretty well? 00:28:16 Speaker 3: He hits righty's. 00:28:18 Speaker 2: If for whatever reason, they were going to bring India here and try to get him off his feet either against righty's or use him in Rojas situationally, which wouldn't make a lot of sense if you were going to trade Bryce Miller for him. But if they were to do that, then there is a clashing of heads between Rojas and India because Rojas is there to hit righty's. India does not hit lefties. He was really bad against lefties this year. So again, as a baseball player as a whole, Jonathan India is a fine player. He's fine. But to give up young, controllable starting pitching and good starting pitching like Bryce Miller for a guy that now again is a league average bat, does not hit on the road, also doesn't hit lefties, also doesn't play defense. I'm not seeing what the fit here is. Like I'll be playing and truthful on here on this pod, like full transparency, Mariners make that trade. I'm gonna be pretty upset. 00:29:13 Speaker 1: And here's another thing. Bryce Miller's not getting traded for should not be getting traded for a platoon bat. Now, why the hell would you give up one of your most valuable assets for a platoon bat. Does someone want to explain that to me? Because if that's what their actual strategy was, now that could be wrong. Because of the Mariner's trade for Jonathan and they say he's playing every single day, It's like, well, okay, I mean he should. You gave up some of the most valuable property in baseball in Bryce Miller and your young starting pitcher with six years of control left that like, that's as valuable as it gets. You better hope that guy's playing every day, so it really better not be a platoon situation with him. 00:29:53 Speaker 2: Maybe in that scenario, India would be its second base, Josh Rojas moves over to third, and that's your solution. Maybe Gino does more dhing, which wouldn't make any sense because Gino also had an unbelievable defensive year at third base last year, which I guess maybe if you tied this all together and you flip Geno for George Springer and then you traded for Jonathan India. Maybe then in that scenario, you'd scenario you'd have Rojas at third and India second springer dhing if you again put a bow on all of this. But I'm not interested in that, Like I'm really really not interested in that. If the Mariners were to package Emerson Hancock and one of their minor league prospects for him, Like if they were going to package I don't know, Alberto Rodriguez for him along with Emerson Hancock, I'd say, okay, maybe then, maybe then I would listen to the chance the Mariners would take on him since he has some club control. I still wouldn't be thrilled about it. I just don't buy India as a player at this point. But man, if they traded Bryce Miller for Jonathan India, I'm going to come back on this podcast be very, very vocally upset. 00:31:04 Speaker 1: I frankly don't think Emerson Hancock and Alberta. Rodriguez is enough to get him, Like I don't. I don't like a guy who would want a rookie of the year with three years of control, which then which essentially eliminates like for us, like that takes him off the table like, Okay, goodbye. 00:31:21 Speaker 2: Bryce Miller is way too much for him. 00:31:23 Speaker 1: Correct, right, So that uh so, in conclusion, Jonathan India bad fit. I have a good fit though, Lyle. This was mentioned in the same the same John Paul Morosi report when he was on MLB Network. John Paul Morosi mentioned Yandi Diaz as a potential option for the Mariners. If Yonni Diez is available, they need to go get him, and they need to go get him right now. 00:31:54 Speaker 2: You're putting me in a good mood really quick, because I was sitting doing my Jonathan India prep yesterday, getting ready for the show we're recording here, and I was sitting there just looking through all his numbers, and I'm like, man, I do not want any part of this guy. I thought that before I started my prep. I thought even more so that after my prep. But man, Yondi Diaz, yondy fucking Diaz. I couldn't have said it any better. He's out there. I would give up a whole lot to go get him. He has two years of control. He is one of the best bats in all of baseball. If the Raves are, for whatever reason dangling his name out there, go get him. Jerry, go trade what you have to trade to go get that guy on this team, because that is a difference maker. 00:32:41 Speaker 1: The reasoning that he would be available is Morosi reported he went on Seattle Sports today or yesterday and he said, I, quote quote, I believe the Raves are in the market to move some position players in an effort to get less expensive pitching. Wow, who has less expensive pitching? I could wonder, Like it seems it almost seems too good to be true, because the Mariners have dirt cheap pitching that they could easily prepare to offload, and that pitching that the Rays don't want to spend on. The Meritors could spend and replace it, and they can get a corner infielder who does everything they want. You know what Yandi Diez does. Like, Sure, he hits for a high average. This man gets on base over forty percent of the time. He slugged over five hundred this season ops of nine to thirty two still hit twenty two home runs. But he did this all well, striking out just fifteen percent of the time, walking eleven percent of the time, with a one to sixty four WRC plus and plays plays two positions, which you desperately need more of from next year. He plays first and he plays thirty. He was a primary first baseman last year for the Tampa Bay Rays. And if they could get this guy at fucking first base next season, this is a fucking needle mover. This is what we're talking about right here. 00:34:01 Speaker 2: You can hear the tones in our voices. Mariners, go trade for Yondi Diaz. We will be sitting here on this podcast saying, let's fucking. 00:34:08 Speaker 3: Go, Jerry. 00:34:09 Speaker 2: I mean, we're talking about a guy who started at first base in the All Star Game this year in Yondi Diaz. Like, can you can you read that WRC plus number for me again? Can you just do that for Yandy Diaz? 00:34:19 Speaker 1: One sixty four, one sixty. 00:34:23 Speaker 2: Four, sixty four percent above league average. Here are a couple names TJ who he ranked ahead of this year in WRC plus, Freddie Freeman, Matt Olsen, Juan Soto and Bryce Harper. I'm gonna say the same line that I said in our social clip about Yandy Diaz here today on Thursday. How do you like them apples? 00:34:44 Speaker 1: What puzzles me the most here is how how how is he available? The Rays are really incredible for like the like the the the payroll they currently run, right, it's you know, it's in the bottom three, bottom five of baseball. They're like, oh, we need to do stadium. We need more people in the gates. That's why we have such a we that's why we have such a such a low, such a low payroll. We can't generate enough revenue. They come out with a new stadium plan that puts it right next to the current trot, so it solves none of the issues. So they're going to continue. They're gonna continue trading away if this happens. Really good players who are at a reasonable age. Yandy Diaz last season was thirty one years old. And YONDI Diaz, you mentioned he has two years of control left. He actually is three because there's a club option in twenty twenty six, So I mean he's I'm dead. Like he's currently on a three year, twenty four million dollar deal which bought out his arbitration with a club year for an extra year. So like the deal is he's supposed to make ten million dollars. I think that's no. It's eight million dollars in twenty twenty four, ten million dollars in twenty twenty five and a club option for twelve million dollars in twenty twenty six for an All Stars starter. I don't I don't even understand how the Rays look at this and like, man, this is too much money. I don't. I don't understand that. I don't know why they would ever trade this guy. But man, I mean it works in the Marrider's favor in so much. If the Murders are going to be cheap this offseason and they don't actually have the budget, well this is your guy because he doesn't cost anything. This is man, this would be a dream. I know. This is just gonna leave us disappointed now too, because we've painted the picture of how this would really be too good to be true. 00:36:32 Speaker 2: Jerry's talks so much about wanting contact bats and cutting down on strikeouts, and a lot of the time when you hear that, especially when I heard that, I think to myself, Oh God, they're gonna get a bunch of slap hitting outfielders that hit for a lick of power, don't put up much in the WRC plus category, And I'm thinking, oh God. But then you hear Yondi Diaz and a guy that is one of the most impactful hitters in the game right now, along with the fact he does not walk, He does not strike out almost at all, and he walks a ton. 00:37:02 Speaker 3: What a fit. 00:37:04 Speaker 2: Along with the fact that the Mariners desperately need help at the corner infield spots that would be unreal. I mean, the more you dig into Yandi Diaz, the more you can fall in love with them. Because I start looking at his pitch by pitch results from twenty twenty three, it's insanity. You know what drove most Mariner fans crazy this past year, how many guys would flail out at all those sweepers and just swing and miss at pitch his way out of the zone. Yanni Diaz crushes breaking balls like he hits the absolute shit out of breaking balls. You know what he did against sweepers this year. The guy hit four fifty five with a five ninety one slug against sweepers. Oh oh, it gets better, It gets better, because that's what he did against sweepers. 00:37:44 Speaker 3: Against curveballs, he hit. 00:37:46 Speaker 2: Five twelve with an eight eighty four slug against curveballs, all while still slugging five to eleven against fastballs. There was not a single pitch on his Baseball Savant page that says, oh, Yandi Diaz really has issues issues with this offering. The more you dig into this guy, like, aside from the fact he doesn't play very good defense, which grade he's gonna play first base, like, you can live with it. Aside from that, it's hard not to just fall in love with this guy and the idea of trading for him. 00:38:17 Speaker 1: I'll continue to say. These type of players are not often available. They are not like when Lyle mentions going out and getting more contact and are like, well, we know what a contact hitter looks like. They're usually smaller, they're usually don't hit for a whole lot of power, and they use their impact on the offensive game is usually minimal. Because the guys who both hit for power and hit for contact, you know what they are. They're very highly paid and usually uh not up for auction out of trade. They're usually they're usually not available. But this is this could potentially be a rare scenario where they actually are. 00:38:53 Speaker 2: Here are guys who hit for power and control the strike zone. Oh, off the top of my head, Aaron Judge, Jordan Alvarez show, hey course, Juan Soto, Yeah, who may actually was also available, which is funny because most of the time these guys are. 00:39:09 Speaker 1: Not but. 00:39:12 Speaker 2: Players like that, you usually don't have a chance to acquire them. And the fact he is even being floated out there by the Rays is unbelievable. And for two teams that make a lot of trades, and the Reds and Mariners that clearly seem to have some needs on each of the opposite ends here, man, it would be intriguing. Okay, now I'm gonna throw out what this package would look like. And look, this is probably gonna be a lot, but I'll throw it to you first. If you have to put together a Yandi Diaz trade package, what is it? 00:39:41 Speaker 1: Well, I know they would not include Logan Gilbert. I think Logan Gilbert is off the table, Jerry said Morosi's report. He said, if the if the Rays settled on Logan Gilbert and only said we'll only take Logan Gilbert, the Mariners would say no in this trade, which makes sense. Again, Yannida, if Yandi Dias was to seven different conversation, twenty eight different this is a different conversation. But Janni Diaz is over thirty at this point, so you don't give up Logan Gilbert for that, I have no problem giving up Bryce Miller or Brian Wu whichever one they want, Like, that's fine, give give it one of them, and then you'll probably give up another top prospect as well, a top prospect, a hitter, Harry Ford, Cole young one of the first round picks potentially if they like one of those a lot, and then you'd probably thrown a couple of fillers that you'd want, And I think that would get it done. Again, You're you're buying three years of control at plus thirty and he plays a non premium position, so that would probably get it done. 00:40:45 Speaker 2: It's probably gonna be Wu if it was between Woo and Miller, especially because the Rays are so tuned in on analytics similar to the way the Mariners are, and Brian Wu and everything about him just jumps off the charts, it would probably be Wu. Right, that's probably fair to say. Yeah, So Wu, do you think it costs one of Cole Younger? Harry Ford? For sure? 00:41:08 Speaker 3: Could Could it be? 00:41:09 Speaker 2: I'm just thinking the fact that you're talking about a guy who's going to be a thirty two year old first baseman, Like, could it be Gabby Gonzalez instead, could you get a little further down the prospect rankings if you're going to include wu who's six years of club control, with six years club control to his belt. 00:41:23 Speaker 1: You potentially could or they might want a lottery ticket like a felnine Celliston, which I don't think the Mariners would want to move. Yeah, but he is not a top one hundred prospect. He is I don't even think he's eighteen yet. Like that, like that's a true lottery ticket that they could potentially want. And then like that could end right there, right you give a proven big league starter and a lottery ticket for Yandi Diaz again a first baseman, non premium position, or you could fill out with a couple of your six to ten prospects, maybe if you were more comfortable with a lazarro Montes, another ticket, non premium position thumper in the minor leagues, who you know, could turn into a Josh Field situation. You never know, we know how that worked out for the Dodgers, but that, like those are the types of prospects that you might have to throw in the end because like that's the that's the area of Gabby Gonzalez's is in. 00:42:20 Speaker 2: So maybe how about this, like Woo, Gabyanzalez, Johnny Farmelo, something. 00:42:25 Speaker 1: Like that, something like that. 00:42:27 Speaker 3: Yeah, okay, so. 00:42:29 Speaker 2: Yeah, like, look, the Mariners aren't going to give up nothing YONDI Diaz is a top five hitter in baseball for a reason after what he did in twenty twenty three. So it wouldn't It would cost a decent amount, but I would do it. I would do it to go get him, That's for sure. 00:42:44 Speaker 1: Yeah, I would too. I man, I hope the Race followed through on this. Marynerson and Race have now made fourteen. They've made fourteen trades all time. Shout out to Jordan Schusterman in front of the pod keeping track, making sure that all these will be done number fifteen. If this were to be the case, would well, I think you and I would be very happy. I mean, this would kick off the off seat. This would be a great start to the off season. And to be honest, like you know, like it feels a major major hole. It leaves you with less pressure to be perfect with the less rest of the roster if this turns out this way, right, because you could probably you probably need to add one more bad but it wouldn't have to be like, you wouldn't have to go get one Soto after this. You wouldn't have to. It would be nice to get one Soda, but you wouldn't have to. You could go maybe a little bit lower on the tone pole, whether it be a trade or sign, and then of course you could always trade again when you potentially signed Blake Snow. 00:43:41 Speaker 2: Can you imagine a scenario, after all the bashing of the Mariners, after all the cries that they don't spend money, after all the outlash about the fifty four percent stuff and doing fans a favor, could you imagine, and I do this against our better judgment, if they had an off season where they signed show Hey and traded Diaz. 00:44:02 Speaker 1: It sounds pretty good to me. 00:44:05 Speaker 2: I shouldn't even be putting that thought into people's heads, including our own, But now I'm sitting here thinking about it, being like, man, what an off season that would be? 00:44:13 Speaker 1: That solves your lineup problem right there? 00:44:16 Speaker 2: Yeap, yes it does. You talk about needing two bats, those are those are two bats. Let's put it like that. 00:44:22 Speaker 1: Those are probably those would be the two best bats on the market this offseason. Arguably, it probably depends where you rank Soto amongst that, if Sodo gets moved, you. 00:44:31 Speaker 2: Want a crazy not that hot take. If the Mariner's got those two guys, Julio potentially becomes the third best bat in that lineup. Potentially Yeah, which is crazy to say, but yes. 00:44:47 Speaker 1: And that's fine with me. Like that, If Julio Rodriguez is your third best hitter, I think you're doing something right. And if this was the case and the Mariners could swing this, they would win back a lot of fan support. I think this would this, This would signal to the clubhouse they mean business. This would absolutely do that. And that's the biggest part of this offseason. You got to keep the trust of the guys on the outside of the organization and the inside of the organization as well. Before we get to our MLB wrap around, let's hear from Simply Seattle. Low and I have some Simply Seattle gear on the way. We're very much looking forward to it. If you also want to get your Simply Seattle gear just in time for the holidays, you want to show up to your Thanksgiving party or Christmas even down the line. It's perfect for Christmas gifts. We have a code that you can use. You can use our code Marine fifteen at simply sattle dot com to get all your best Seattle sports gear. We're talking Mariners, we're talking Seahawks, Kracking, Sonics, Huskies, whatever you want. They have nonsports themed gear as well. It's great for gifts, it's great for personal use, and if you use our code, you get fifteen percent off your order. So go online to simply Sattle dot com and use our code Marine fifteen and some you'll make either yourself or someone else way happier for this holiday season, we promise. Okay, let's get to our mob wrap around A first on the MLB Wrap Around, Lyle, I've never seen Brian Cashman so animated before. He had a scrum with reporters at the GM meetings this week in Scottsdale, and it caught some eyeballs. 00:46:31 Speaker 2: It was not quite a Jerry level presser. There was no fifty four percent type of quotes thrown out there. 00:46:38 Speaker 3: Not quite. 00:46:39 Speaker 2: I would put it just a step below because there were some quotes that people are hanging on to now. 00:46:45 Speaker 1: But there's a big difference I think between what Jerry's presser was when he said fifty four percent and what this was for Brian Cashman. Brian Cashman in this scenario sounded like he had some angry he needed to get out and vent to reporters. That's what it sounded like. Meanwhile, Jerry, in his sense, was trying to out. It sounded like he was trying to outsmart everybody in the room for what his his conversation was and that he felt like he had complete control of that press conference. This wasn't the case for Brian Cashman. Him and some reporters Joel Sherman were especially We're having some very animated discussion about the Yankees off season and their development in twenty twenty three where they had a very disappointing season and it's not looking much more optimistic for their twenty twenty four season as well. And Cashman was not holding back. He's cussing. He was saying, they have these smallest analytical department in the American League East, when there was a study that looked into this issue. In fact, the Yankees had the second largest analytics department in baseball this season and it made no sense. And he was he was trying to say, I'm right, you're wrong in a sense, and I don't think reporters were buying it. 00:48:06 Speaker 2: It is hilarious how fast he got proven wrong with that analytics thing. For whatever reason, he doesn't like being tabbed as an analytically driven team, which doesn't make any sense, like all teams should be analytically driven. At this point, it is part of the game. And the fact that he is trying to essentially brag about having the smallest analytics team in the Al East, only for about twenty four hours later to get it turned around and say, oh no, your analytics department is huge is unbelievable. Can I tell you what my favorite part of this whole press conference was with Sure, this is a Yankees team that last year had two qualified hitters with a WRC plus over one hundred, one of them being Aaron Judge, you missed a good chunk of time, the other being Laber Torres, who's now per rumors on the trading block. Two guys who were qualified hitters with a WRC plus over one hundred. Brian Cashman has the audacity to say during the media session in terms of talking about the Yankees, he says, I think we're pretty fucking good. Well, guess what, Brian Cashman, I think you're pretty fucking bad. I think your offense is stale and lacking. I think you guys can't keep anybody healthy, and I think you guys have some significant work to do this offseason if you want to even get remotely back into playoff and Pennant competition. 00:49:27 Speaker 1: It just didn't sound like somebody who was acknowledging, totally acknowledging a bad season and saying and people asking, like they're essentially asking is like do you think there are flaws in your process? And he said no, And then people are sitting there and thinking like, yeah, there are. For example, Joel Sherman and him had like a three minute back and forth like with an animated discussion during this during this scrum where they're talking about Anthony Volpi, who had a pretty bad offensive season starting at shortstop, but the Yankees pulled them up skip triple A and as a twenty one year old started him at shortstop on opening day, and Joel Sherman's like, are you sure that was the right decision? And Brian Cashman was not not giving him anything. 00:50:15 Speaker 2: Sounds like a GM who's been there about a decade too long. 00:50:19 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's been there a while. I mean, Cashman was there when they were in the dynasty. Like, that's how long it's been. That's absurd. There is not a single executive in baseball, but has there actually answered me this while? Do you know this? The answer to this is there an executive in baseball who's been in power before twenty ten besides Cashman. 00:50:42 Speaker 3: I was trying to. 00:50:43 Speaker 2: Think about this the other day, and we talked about this a couple of weeks ago with a few of our friends, just about who are the longest tenure GMS or president of baseball ops? Aside from Cashman, We're like, actually, Jerry's been in his position a while. He's kind of up there. I was trying to even think about the other names, like Dombrowski hasn't been in Philly that long, or obviously the Mets just hired somebody new, and like, who are the other successful franchises, Like the Astros have a pretty new GM. 00:51:07 Speaker 1: I mean, the Cubs cycle through THEO like. 00:51:11 Speaker 2: It's the jet. Hoyer's there now. It's it's like it's not. 00:51:14 Speaker 1: The act, like the Astros just cycled, like the Rangers just did as well, the Diamondbacks, like the Dodger I mean Andrew Frieban only got to the Dodgers in twenty and fourteen, like and Brian Cashman started with the Yankees before the year two thousand and that. 00:51:32 Speaker 2: Same that team has been what I think has been stale for a while. 00:51:36 Speaker 3: I know they were in. 00:51:37 Speaker 2: The ALCS in twenty twenty two and they've had a decent amount of success, getting to the playoffs almost every year and winning ninety plus games. But man, that that whole roster to me, for a while has felt stale. 00:51:47 Speaker 3: Like I know that. 00:51:48 Speaker 2: Look, they signed Carlos Rodan last year, they got Garrett Cole a few years ago. It's not like they haven't shelled out money. But something is missing with that team. I think they need significant work on the offensive side of the ball. I don't know why they get so many guys injured and why it continuously happens in the Bronx every year. Now they should probably look into that. I think there's a lot of work to be done. 00:52:09 Speaker 1: And he was trying to justify some acquisite. He was trying to justify as Joey Gallo acquisition, and Joey gallow was just a disaster acquisition by Brian Cashman in New York by saying, and he was doing this with Sonny Gray too. He's like, oh, look at all these other teams that wanted these players too. But and the reporters are just trying to get to the point. It's like, well, Brian, they weren't good in New York. That's the point you bring players in to be good here. And Joey gallow left literally because he couldn't walk out of his own apartment in New York because that's how bad he was. And they were pointing out that, like, hey, Brian, like you say, you don't use analytics to make decision, It's like, so why did you acquire Joey Gallo then? Because you, like, let's be honest, here, a team acquiring Joey Gallo is looking at analytics. They're not looking at, oh, what's his batting average? That that's not what they're looking at. 00:53:00 Speaker 2: Speaking of batting average, we really have to give a shout out to Aaron Judge here, a dude who put up a WRC plus above one seventy this past year. And apparently this is another report that got leaked out this week at the GM meetings regarding the Yankees that Aaron Judge told Brian Cashman he feels like the Yankees are not looking at the right stats when they're evaluating talent and success. They think they need to do some readjusting and start looking more at batting average and RBIs And all I can say to that, Aaron Judge is to perfectly quote a line from SpongeBob when Patrick Starr was trying to mop the floors with the wrong end of a broomstick, only for somebody to come up to him and say, Hey, pal, you just blowing from stupid town. That's what I have to say to you, Aaron Judge. Batting average and rbiyes what you don't think you're driving in enough runs? You're pissed off that not enough people are on base for you. You got your contract, buddy, You're one of the best hitters in baseball what like like and all your analytics say you're an unbelievable hitter. So like, what are you bitching about with batting average? 00:54:07 Speaker 1: And he if he's saying that, like like that devalues you. Yeah, Like I'm sorry, dude, Like Luisa Rise blows you out of the water. Sorry, you shouldn't have gotten your contract. If that's actually what's valued? What I can't believe of all people, the dude who set the American League home run record is out here saying we need to pay more attention to batting average. 00:54:32 Speaker 2: Like why don't you just get offensive production? And I'm sure there's gonna be people. It's like, yeah, the Yankees were a bottom three team in terms of batting averages year. Well, they also had nobody hitting for any impact outside of Judge. The one other guy who even did it to a half decent degree is Glabor Torres, who all of a sudden, now, like we mentioned, might get traded. So why don't you find actual hitters, Aaron Judge, not guys that are gonna hit two eighty and put up a six seventy ops like I could. 00:55:02 Speaker 1: I was very shocked that quote came out of his mouth. But you know that's what Aaron Judge wants to believe. Man, he's a he's a rich man. He can he can think as he wants. In summary lyle things don't seem to be going smoothly in the Bronx. I'll say that. 00:55:18 Speaker 2: No, Jared Apoto is now not the only GM or President of Baseball Ops to have a press conference go viral for the wrong reasons over the last month and a half. 00:55:28 Speaker 1: This I would say, this offseason is setting up for a beautiful stretch of New York Sports radio. I'll tell you that much. Because I had to go check in right when seeing all these comments, I had to I had to do a little bit of snooping. I know we have our favorites, Don Lagreca, who's on the Michael k Show. I had to go check out what Don had to say about this scenario, and he compared it for what Brian Cashman was saying to the Evan Neil scenario. I know you know what I'm talking about. But Evan Neil essentially told in a in a I think it was a post game when Giants fans started booing him. He said the fans were underneath him and that the Lion should not concern himself with the opinion of the sheet. And he that's what he compared this Brian Cashman scenario to. And I just know, like this is I'm like, that's perfect. That really is perfect. One of our favorites out there is is nailing it right. 00:56:21 Speaker 3: Man. 00:56:22 Speaker 1: By the side, note, if you haven't heard Don Lagreca's rant on Evan Neil, please go check it out. Some of the best content you'll ever get. 00:56:29 Speaker 2: He essentially tells fans too, if you see Evan Neil, who is the New York Giants right tackle. If you see him walking around the city. 00:56:37 Speaker 3: Boo them. 00:56:38 Speaker 2: If you see him in the mall, boo them. If they win a Super Bowl, boo them. It's like Don mgreca, And I. 00:56:45 Speaker 1: Think he's saying the same thing for Brian Cashman too, where you go up to Brian Cashman and you say, so, Volpi, why why didn't you send him to Triple A and everywhere he goes, even if he's at dinner. 00:56:58 Speaker 3: Man. 00:56:59 Speaker 2: It has been a week full of quotes, which segues perfectly to what our next and final segment on this MLB rap around is, which is Scott Boris had his media session too this week at the GM meetings, and I got to tell you what, that guy is just insufferable to listen to. 00:57:15 Speaker 1: What was your favorite quote? 00:57:18 Speaker 2: Okay, so let's just read him. Let's just read him because Scott Boris to set the scene here during his media session, which, by the way, quick side note, why the fuck does this guy have a backdrop? With his logos for his own media session. Like an agent. An agent is that a player? 00:57:33 Speaker 3: Is that a team? It's an agent. And he has a. 00:57:37 Speaker 2: Backdrop with all his Boris Corp logos behind it. I thought that was a ridiculous touch to begin with. But he had three big quotes because obviously, as he does in every offseason, he has some noteworthy clients that will be potentially looking for a new team this winter. Let's start with Cody Bellinger, where he talked about the Cubs and signing Bellinger to the one year deal. Cody Bellinger's nickname, by the way is Belly. For those who might not know. Scott Boris said, Chicago got the comforts of a full belly this year. They're gonna have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger. Then we get to Pee Alonzo, actually a guy who's a pretty new Scott Boris client over the last year or so. 00:58:15 Speaker 3: He said. 00:58:17 Speaker 2: P Alonzo's nickname, by the way, is the Polar Bear. Scott Boris said, when it comes to the Polar Bear, we are not in contract hibernation. And then finally on Jung Hu Lee we have talked about and we'll be signing with a big league club. This winner, Scott Boris said, Jung who is going to bring k pop to major league Baseball? And I'm sitting there to myself thinking, shout the fuck up, dude, Like I can just see this dude sitting in his little layer thinking to himself like, oh, let me think of some witty fucking quotes to piss people off during my media session. 00:58:51 Speaker 3: It's like, you know what, if. 00:58:53 Speaker 2: This was a media personality saying this stuff, for a player saying this stuff, I just kind of shrug it off. The reason the reason I have such issue with Scott Boris doing this is because while he is good for his clients, I do not think he's good for the sport. I think he pisses off every fan base to some extent or another, and I think he is kind of an asshole. So like, he very very clearly has some sleeves behind these comments, but he doesn't care. He's like, oh, how can I piss everybody off today? And well that's what he had to say. So I told you before the show, I was gonna give my little spiel on Scott Boris here, who I cannot stand to listen to, and man, he made me just cringe listening to those quotes. 00:59:34 Speaker 1: I don't even know how if there's anything else I can add to that besides the fact, it's like he knows how to make headlines. He's essentially marketing Boris Corp. During these press conferences. He knows when he speaks at the GM meetings, and he's gonna speak again at Winter meetings again. I would imagine with his same little backdrop that he's got, he's there to get some headlines. He's there to drive some traction to his clients, to get people talking about his clients, for the pressure to the teams to sign his clients, and just knowing that he has the power, if the right people are in free agency, to hold up the entire market until he gets what he wants. He knows exactly. Could you imagine a show Hey was a Bors client, This would be a fucking nightmare. Shoey would not sign until April if he was a Bors client. 01:00:20 Speaker 2: He like, look, is he amazing at his job? Of course, he makes his players a ton of money, But I just like I can't stand like how much like how many asshole vibes he gives off? And maybe he does it on purpose or not maybe. I'm sure he does it on purpose, but like, I just don't think he's good for the game. Like he never ever ever lets his clients sign extensions, which I'm not saying you should let guys get lowballed, but you know it, Like the sport is built on fans being connected to players, and Boris makes it very hard for that to happen because nobody ever stays in their hometown it's a Boris client. Like remember when the Nationals were trying to like work out a long term extension for Juan Soto and obviously it never happened, and the Nationals actually offered a lot of money, didn't happen. He got traded. It was never to be. And I'm just picturing now what would have happened if he had gotten extended, because like Scott Boris and his players obviously like are going to be all about getting the money. And I can just picture in this hypothetical scenario, had Juan Soto actually agreed to an extension with the Nationals, him and Scott Boris would have been sitting up there with grins on their face at that presser, and Juan would have been talking about it's been my lifelong dream to stay as a Washington National my whole career. Now I can live out that dream. No, you and Scott Boris wanted the Nationals to pay you one and a half times above market value, and that hypothetically would have been what the Nationals did. So he just makes it very hard to relate to. I hate that he is a cal Raleigh agent. I hate that he's cal Raley's agent. I don't like that he's Harry Fordsy because it makes fans think, oh, we've got a limited time window with these guys and then they're probably gone. 01:02:04 Speaker 3: So yeah, I just I, man, I really do not like listening to this guy talk. 01:02:09 Speaker 2: I'm trying to even think how much we talked about him last offseason but not that much, and sitting here listening to his media quotes this week, I'm my god, save me. 01:02:19 Speaker 1: Got anything else to add? Is? 01:02:21 Speaker 3: Man? 01:02:21 Speaker 1: I think you've said pretty much everything that's needed to be said. I would say, you know, definitely, he's definitely not a relatable person. I mean, I'm significantly less wealthy than he is, significantly I would say, less controlling than he is. And I'd like to say my success is in other people getting paid, I would say for the most part, So I'd say that that's kind of where I come out of come out of all of this. But he's the only one who sets up his own It tells you a lot about a person when he's the only one who sets up his own backdrop and has his own press conference at every winter meetings. 01:02:56 Speaker 2: So, yeah, I cannot stand listening to him. That being said, I actually think he'd be kind of a cool podcast guest after everything I just said, I actually think you'd be very interesting to talk to if you ever wanted to come on. 01:03:09 Speaker 3: I talk to him. 01:03:10 Speaker 2: What I have the guts to tell him, Yeah, I don't like the way you do business. Yeah, probably not that he would care what some random podcast or thinks. I just be like, hey, it's hard to relate to these players when they never stick around long term. But hey, I think he'd be actually very interesting to talk to. 01:03:24 Speaker 1: And you know what you would respond with, Lyle is like, I don't care. 01:03:27 Speaker 2: Well, of course, I would expect absolutely nothing less. I'm sure he's told many people that many times over the years, probably a lot of gms. 01:03:34 Speaker 3: But that's Scott Boris for you. 01:03:37 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, I mean, I just he drives me nuts, man, I think he drives a lot of baseball fans nuts. 01:03:43 Speaker 1: I think we jumped the line of our next segment because I think that's really what essentially did. You did speak your mind before we actually did it. So let's actually get into it so I can get my shots and let's get to speak your mind. 01:03:56 Speaker 3: Speak your mind, spot That would be unwise. What is necessary is never unwise. 01:04:07 Speaker 1: Art Lyle, what else is on your mind this week besides Scott Wars? 01:04:12 Speaker 2: Yeah, let me try to think about what else. Now, I'm kidding, I do have something. I hate changing the clocks. I think early on when we started this podcast, like this was maybe our first second third episode ever, when we did Speak your Mind, I talked about I just absolutely hate falling back an hour, and I stand by it. I think it's the dumbest thing ever. 01:04:29 Speaker 3: Right. 01:04:29 Speaker 2: The fact that it'll be four thirty in the afternoon and it's dark just drives me crazy. I think I think the country should be like Arizona, where you just stay on one time time zone all year. You don't change your clocks. You just stay on what would be daylight savings time all twelve months. So it fills up to me, we do that because I really hate seeing the sun go down at four point thirty in the afternoon. 01:04:52 Speaker 1: So, speaking of your dating, it back to our first few episodes, I believe when this episode publishes will be at one year exactly, so probably's episod one. 01:05:01 Speaker 3: Yeah, it wasn't living close. 01:05:03 Speaker 1: It would have been the same week of clocks changing too. 01:05:06 Speaker 2: Yeah, I guess that's true. I don't know I'm weird in this way. I guess I more think of you are right that we will be at twelve months of doing this podcast here in the next couple of days. For whatever reason, I guess I think more to myself of when this year ends twenty twenty three, it'll feel like more year one fully accumulated for me. But you are right that it will have been twelve months here. So yeah, it's the same same time span. 01:05:27 Speaker 1: So I guess that can start my speaker mind shout out to us twelve months exactly. A lot a lot of podcasts start and do not get to twelve months. So I'm proud we've made it. Let's give ourselves around of applause. Let's give ourselves a round of applause. That's that's some good stuff. They okay, they say. 01:05:43 Speaker 2: The average podcast often does not get past three episodes, and I think a reason for that is a lot of people just try to put a lot of effort into it. You try to think of the name the logo like put time into the long form stuff, and then a few weeks in, a lot of people will be like, well, this is kind of a lot. I don't know if we can keep going with it, and eventually it falls off where we did not do that. 01:06:03 Speaker 1: It is I'll say it's not for everyone because it is a big sacrifice of your personal time. Like you know, like name some things people do during a normal work week at night when they're not working. I mean they'll go to they'll go to trivia, they'll watch movies, they'll just go hang out with their friends, et cetera, et cetera. I mean, but here we are spending you know, hours of our weekdays doing this like it's it's not It is not for everyone, and it makes sense after three episodes. It's really not for everyone. But that's why it's good. When you have a two person podcast or more, people hold each other accountable and it helps everything stay on course and now eventually get to a very successful twelve months that we've had. 01:06:46 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's been. 01:06:46 Speaker 2: Great, and we should say it takes up a lot of our time, but we very much enjoy doing it. 01:06:50 Speaker 3: Like, let's make that very clear. 01:06:52 Speaker 1: So no, one hundred percent my one of my other things for speak your mind. I just wanted to give a shout out to our rival school, the University of Arizona, for somehow misplacing this news came out today a quarter of a billion dollars from their athletic department and are now going to have to cut many things, including potentially some sports as well. I'm just flabbergasted that people at the highest level of college athletics could misplace a quarter of a billion dollars worth of money. 01:07:27 Speaker 2: Like they straight up just lost. It makes me think of a long time ago. I watched this Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life. It's famous. I'm sure some people listening know the movie where that essentially happens. It's not that much money, but the main characters just lose a bunch of money. I mean, it turns out it was stolen, but they thought they just straight up lost it and misplaced it. Like how could that possibly happen in the year twenty twenty three? You just forgot where it was? Two hundred and fifty billion dollars. 01:07:53 Speaker 1: Million, not billion billion. 01:07:55 Speaker 2: Well even still two hundred and fifty million dollars. 01:07:57 Speaker 3: I'm sorry. 01:07:59 Speaker 1: Well, I was gonna say, if they had two hundred and fifty billion dollars in cash, they could do significantly more than just operate a university. 01:08:06 Speaker 2: So they could probably have a University of Arizona rocket ship fly to Mars. 01:08:11 Speaker 1: Yeah, right, exactly. But they don't have that. Instead, they're gonna have significantly less because they somehow misplaced an enormous chunk of cash, which I got a good chuckle out of that. Today, I do feel bad for everyone that's going to get affected by this. It just blows my mind. I don't know how you misplaced that. All of those zero's gone, Where did it go? Where could that money possibly be? If I have twenty dollars in my wallet and it goes missing, I'm gonna notice two hundred and forty million dollars I who knows? Who knows? Okay, My final thing on speak your mind. I need some fantasy football advice. Dog, I'm in a bit of a controversy in our Dynasty League. So I'm just gonna air out my dirty laundry here. I have a shit quarterback situation, so like, let's let's talk this through. I came into this year with Justin Fields as my starting quarterback. Justin Fields right now is on pace to be replaced by Caleb Williams. That is a fact. Or Drake May whoever, whoever the Bears decide to pick, they have. They will probably pick first, probably pick second and third, first and second or some combination in the top four. I'm gonna guess they'll get two picks up there. I have Russell Wilson, who I traded idiotically for Joe Burrow because I'm I'm a fucking idiot. I get it. And then I drafted Bryce Young number eight overall in our draft this year, who looks like a bust. So you know, I come to the conclusion here, Doug, and I think I'm fucked. 01:09:46 Speaker 2: Man. Okay, just to get people context again, Dynasty League means teams carry over year by year. So when you hear TJ say he took Bryce Young eighth overall, no, he didn't take Bryce Young over Travis Kelsey. There are only rookies available to draft, so core so man, of those three quarterbacks, I don't even know I would. You're not gonna hear me say many positive things about Uss these days, especially because he may get replaced after this year, so that might like. 01:10:14 Speaker 1: He might get cut within the next year, like he might get cut justin Fields is gonna get either traded or cut, and like Bryce Young probably has some time. But if we're looking at the other rookies in this class, I mean, even Will Levice looks better than he does. I mean, seriously, we just watched the guy who the Houston Texans picked just after him and C. J. Stroud go out there throw four to seventy and five touchdowns in the win last weekend. Meanwhile, Bryce Young looks small, his arm looks weak, he doesn't look mobile, and his decision making looks terrible. He can he currently has zero good traits of an NFL quarterback, And I'm like, they took him number one overall and I had to take him in the first round because it's all who was left of the rookie quarterbacks and I feel like I feel like I'm in a shit situation right now. 01:11:09 Speaker 2: Remember when we had brock heward On, and we had those couple of weeks right around Seahawks draft time where we were talking about how much we loved Anthony Richardson. He looks pretty good right now. I know he's out for the year and he only played a couple of games, but a couple of games he played in Man, he looked pretty good. I think the Panthers may be having a little bit of buyer's remorse at this point. I'm sure they're hoping Bryce turns it around. But just seeing Stroud and Richardson, that's that's a top blow. But for you, where are you in the standing? Can you tank again? Because what you're not telling people, what you're telling people. What you're not telling people I should say, is you did get Bejon Robinson this year because you essentially tanked last season. Where could you tank again and now get Kleb Williams. 01:11:50 Speaker 1: No, I can't. I'm in playoff position right now, so I'm like, I'm surviving, but I'm never I I don't know how the hell I'm gonna win a championship in this league with this set of quarterbacks. I like, I need good quarterback play. My best weeks have been when Justin Fields has gone off and Justin Fields, as a lot of you who follow fantasy foot remember football, remember for about a third of the season last year, Justin Field's is QB one in all fantasy football. He was elite. But this year, I mean, he's had some regression. He's had some good games, but it seems like the Bears are gonna move on from him. That's what it seems like. He gets chance elsewhere, but that's what it looks like. So and you know, it doesn't help with picking Bijon Robinson, the fact he went to the fucking Falcons and Arthur Smith hates him. One Carrie inside the five yard line, one. 01:12:40 Speaker 3: Dude. 01:12:40 Speaker 2: The day Arthur Smith loses his job. I'm not saying that's gonna happen after this year. I don't know if it's gonna happen anytime soon period. If it does, there's gonna be a lot of fantasy football fans just rejoicing, especially people in dynasty leagues who have either Bijon or Kyle Pitts. I just can't understand how, for the life of me, why the Falcons draft all these un believable skill players within the top ten and then don't use them. In the last three years, they drafted Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bjhon Robinson and they just seem to have no interest in making them focal points of the offense. 01:13:11 Speaker 1: I mean, seriously, there was a game this year Jon had one carry. One I started him. It's a nope, he's project, he's playing, and he played, he suit it up, he played, and you gave him one carry. 01:13:23 Speaker 2: Look, I think drafting running backs in the first round, let alone the top ten for roster building in the NFL is a mistake. That being said, if you're gonna do that, you better use the guy. And it's not to say Bjon Robinson is a bad player. No, he has a chance to be the best running back in football when he hits his prime. But he can't be that if you don't use them. 01:13:44 Speaker 1: And I would say running backs are always their most valuable when they're on their rookie contract. So if you got Bijon locked into a five year deal, potentially if you pick up that fifth year option, like you better use him while he has that value attached to him, because then when he asked for more money, you know nobody wants to end up paying him regardless. I mean, like Bijon was the right pick. He was a slam dunk number one overall pick. He's overall been a success for my dynasty team. This year, I'm in playoff position, so that works out. The problem is, again, I can't win anything with these quarterbacks, not in the current situations. Justin Fields could go to a different franchise and succeed, and then I might be Okay, then I have my quarterback of the future because Justin Fields is still twenty three. He's young, so he's still got some time. But if he doesn't work out, it's not looking good. 01:14:38 Speaker 2: Okay, little side note, little side note, no disrespect. I can't talk all of a sudden, no disrespect to Drew Locke. But what if the Seahawks bought really low on Justin Fields, had him back up Gino for a year or two? 01:14:50 Speaker 3: I would be all in for that. 01:14:52 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I'd be. I'd be I'd be in for that, like, especially if they don't feel willing to, because the year to get quarterbacks in the is this year, Like you, like, this is one of the best quarterback classes we've seen in quite a while, and you're gonna need to trade lots of first round picks to go get those guys, and the Seahawks are not gonna be in position to get him, so that would make sense. That would be a definitely be a BILO option. And if you're saying, would I rather give Drew Locke an opportunity or Justin Fields an opportunity, I'd probably say Fields. 01:15:23 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, Oh, I still think Fields could be really good. Look, Fields has not been great at times. I also think the two coaching staffs he's had have been abysmo. 01:15:33 Speaker 1: Yeah. Maybe the organization he's been in has is one of the five worst in football, and he would go to one of the five best. 01:15:40 Speaker 2: Yeah, And he again he has had two bad coaching staffs, Like very bad coaching staffs. If you had Pete and Shane Waldren, like maybe it would help them. 01:15:48 Speaker 3: Yeah. 01:15:49 Speaker 2: In terms of your fantasy football dilemma, here are there quarterbacks on waivers to pick up any. 01:15:56 Speaker 1: No like in dynasty league, so large rosters. I could trade for some. I know, I know two is available for the right price. I'll think about it. 01:16:05 Speaker 2: You might have to go do that, especially, like I mean, if he can stay healthy, Daniel's gonna be there a while. They have all these weapons that might be worth it. 01:16:12 Speaker 1: I'll think about it. The I think the initial price was T Higgins to start. I think TA in a first so. 01:16:19 Speaker 2: That actually might not be off. I mean T Higgins is not playing. I mean T Higgins has not been healthy and he hasn't had a great year. 01:16:24 Speaker 1: I also have quite a few wide receivers. Wide receiver is my strongest position. They're all I have a lot of them, and they're all very young, so like AJ Brown is my oldest and most experienced receiver, to put it that way. So I'm doing okay in that in that department. So if I were to trade from any position, it would be that one. So I guess we'll see. I'll think about it. I have quite a dilemma on my hands, and there's a lot of money at Steak too. There's a lot of money at Steak. 01:16:49 Speaker 2: Yeah, do you have Fantasy football advice for TJ? Per the listeners? You can send it to him. Yeah, you got any advice for TJ? You can add him on Twitter, send us a DM and say hey, here's what we think you should do. Because it sounds like he's taken advice from just about anybody you can right now. 01:17:05 Speaker 1: Yeah, I need it. I need it. Like in pro fantasy, I am, i'd say I'm not great, College fantasy is a different case. No, I just missed the playoffs, so I guess that's another thing. Hot seat me. I lost to you on some bullshit two points. 01:17:19 Speaker 2: I mean I barely missed too in our college fantasy league because they were not the game against you. But there were a couple matchups this year where I lost by five points or less and that was the whole difference. 01:17:28 Speaker 3: So yeah, we both just missed. 01:17:30 Speaker 1: Yeah, just a little side note before we wrap up. Did you like the format we played in this year? So the way we did college fantasy this year, we did best ball, So your entire roster starts and it picks the two best. And that's why we had a all these high scoring games at b while we had all these close games. Because if you have twenty twenty five players on your roster, like in college, like generally they'll be if you collect all the best scores, it's going to be pretty close to one another in scores wise. I think that's what we saw and that's why we had all these close losses. 01:18:03 Speaker 2: I also don't love it because you can't follow specific players as well. When we would do actual lineups in college fantasy, there's so many players who you can get to learn way more about. You'll check in on way more, et cetera, et cetera, not just with your team, but teams you're playing, and there's certain games you'll watch, similar to how you'd watch NFL football to watch for your fantasy team's sake. But you can't keep track of forty different players amongst two teams in a matchup. It's just impossible. Yeah, I mean, I understand why we did it because to avoid situations like you had a few years ago, when you don't know guys are gonna oversleep practice and then get set out for a game. But that being said, it is a little bit less what's the right word. I guess what it boils down to, it's more random. It is much more random and there's less strategy involved. So I guess I like the setting lineups. If it's up to me, I understand why we did best Ball, but I like the setting lineups. 01:18:58 Speaker 1: I will say I did like stock piling my quarterbacks. I think the final week of the regular season, my quarterbacks had over two hundred combined points. I had like four of them combined for over two hundred. It was. It was something ridiculous. I like, I somehow managed to waste Jaden Daniels and Kleb Williams this season somehow. 01:19:15 Speaker 2: Yeah, I had Drake May and Shador Sanders at least first half. Should or Sanders when he was lighting the world on Buyer but yeah, same thing. 01:19:23 Speaker 1: So so yeah, it's tough out here. 01:19:25 Speaker 2: It is tough out here again. Call to action for all the listeners. Give TJ Fantasy football advice if you have any for them. So okay, I think that just about wraps up this edition of the Marine Layer podcast. You guys know the drill. You want to listen to the full form podcast, you can do so on Apple, Spotify, Google or Amazon. That's wherever you get your audio podcasts. Make sure follow us, download our episodes, leave us the five star reviews, the reviews, the downloads. They help us out a bunch, So just take a few extra seconds to do that. Go watch on YouTube, where the whole video side of this podcast is like comment subscribe over there, and then follow us on social media on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube shorts at Marine Layer Pod. 01:20:06 Speaker 3: That's t J. I'm Lyle. 01:20:07 Speaker 2: As always, we thank you guys for tuning in. 01:20:09 Speaker 3: Talk to you so