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[SPEAKER_03]: Did it do it do it do it do it [SPEAKER_02]: We know it's Saturday.

[SPEAKER_02]: Happy conference championship day.

[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, Texas tech is going to win.

[SPEAKER_01]: We don't give a shit about any of that.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let's talk about baseball.

[SPEAKER_02]: If you are using to cover George is going to win and then thinking to you, Anna might win.

[SPEAKER_02]: Uh, we're talking about the winter meetings in Orlando that are coming up.

[SPEAKER_02]: And we're doing that with ESPN inside our Buster Olmy and we're really excited about that.

[SPEAKER_02]: We're super excited.

[SPEAKER_02]: The Buster Olmy is officially a recurring guest on the just baseball show.

[SPEAKER_02]: It is so much fun.

[SPEAKER_02]: I told you right when we ended the recording with Buster Olmy.

[SPEAKER_02]: that his voice evokes such memories from my childhood.

[SPEAKER_02]: You mentioned it's like I'm watching Sports Center.

[SPEAKER_02]: For me it's like I'm watching baseball tonight.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's so cool to have him join us and give us the rundown of everything happening in the winter meetings, we're leading up to the winter meetings in spoiler alert.

[SPEAKER_02]: There's a lot of stuff.

[SPEAKER_01]: That could be happening leader leading up to the winter meetings there is so much that he went over and sometimes I totally agree I got to pace myself because I want to ask him a million questions, but I think the best [SPEAKER_01]: part of this interview is how much information is packed into a 30 minute interview.

[SPEAKER_01]: Buster only does not waste a second year hearing rumors fly in every answer he's talking about a trillion players in a 30 minute segment I can't wait for everybody to listen to this interview.

[SPEAKER_02]: Who's the podcast prod to you by?

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[SPEAKER_02]: I just like BYU and Georgia on bounce backs, man.

[SPEAKER_02]: I simply do sue me for that.

[SPEAKER_02]: This is such a great conversation.

[SPEAKER_02]: We get into the trademark it.

[SPEAKER_02]: Certain humongous names on the trademark get the kind of cooled and recent weeks.

[SPEAKER_02]: All of a sudden, a certain left-hander in the American League Central is back.

[SPEAKER_02]: In trade discussions, I don't know, let's talk.

[SPEAKER_02]: But another really cool element of this.

[SPEAKER_02]: We snuck a discord question in there.

[SPEAKER_02]: our discord community is absolutely phenomenal.

[SPEAKER_02]: We were able to implement a discord question, ask Buster directly.

[SPEAKER_02]: And this is probably the best time to join our discord community.

[SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, because up until Sunday when the winter meeting start, we are still offering that free month.

[SPEAKER_01]: to join our discord.

[SPEAKER_01]: It is so much fun, especially during this time of year, where rumors are flying, we're answering all the questions.

[SPEAKER_01]: It's not just myself and Jack and Arm, it's the entire just baseball staff, and I also want to give kudos to our discord members because a lot of them are crazy, crazy intelligent, that can also answer questions.

[SPEAKER_01]: We have fun debates in there about [SPEAKER_01]: a full free month.

[SPEAKER_01]: You can enjoy it for the entire month of December.

[SPEAKER_01]: Again, we're recording on Saturday, December 6th.

[SPEAKER_01]: It will end Saturday, December 7th.

[SPEAKER_01]: Or excuse me, Sunday, December 7th at the end of the day.

[SPEAKER_01]: So if you want to join our Discord for free, again, you can cancel at the end of the month.

[SPEAKER_01]: If you aren't enjoying it, hopefully you stick around for the rest of the season, you can find that link in the episode description.

[SPEAKER_02]: Here is without further ado, MLB Insider for ESPN, Buster Only.

[SPEAKER_02]: Buster only officially returns to the program.

[SPEAKER_02]: He is a recurring guest now ESPN senior writer and LB Insider also the host of baseball tonight with Buster only and gets to work there with the great Paul Hembakedis of course.

[SPEAKER_02]: Buster, thank you so much for joining us again.

[SPEAKER_02]: Let me ask, does your overall screen time on every device whether it's texture email go up around the winter meetings or is it kind of unpar with where you're at during the regular season?

[SPEAKER_00]: Oh my god, it goes up.

[SPEAKER_00]: you know you're you're constantly texting with somebody you're constantly mailing with somebody you know or you're on the phone with somebody you're talking to them and I I mean one of the things and I would tell this journalism students when I speak to them about you know how to handle your business I'm like [SPEAKER_00]: especially this time of year you have to be respectful of time so I will literally text someone and say I need you for two questions I promise you I won't keep you best two minutes and I'm watching the clock because I'm like if you abuse that sort of thing this time of year you're not getting the call back.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I tried to, he had tried to be strategic about that, but yes, you're bouncing from called to call the text to text.

[SPEAKER_01]: And that screen time is about to skyrocket in Orlando on Sunday.

[SPEAKER_01]: I got asked, does this offseason carousel feel similar timing wise to the typical offseason quiet on most fronts with the occasional splash?

[SPEAKER_01]: And then it's going to quickly ramp up here in a few days.

[SPEAKER_00]: No, I think that what's so different in terms of what I'm hearing from teams is a lot more trade stuff, so much more trade stuff.

[SPEAKER_00]: What I'm hearing from executives is they feel like because you guys know that in a lot of the trade conversations there's this dance that goes on where they posture at the beginning, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: And then they slowly reveal themselves, [SPEAKER_00]: and what I'm hearing from teams now is that teams need to get work done and so they're like okay our guy isn't that great he's a and I'm paraphrasing you know our guy is a B-minus value we're at looking at your player with a B-plus value how do we fill in the gap and they're much more engaged and they're talking and I think [SPEAKER_00]: You know, that's reflective of a couple things.

[SPEAKER_00]: One, the labor situation, which is is impacting, I think, behaviors with the teams, and two, the fact that, and, you know, this is related to that, the teams, I think there's an anticipation.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's not going to be nearly as much money spending for agency.

[SPEAKER_00]: So teams are looking at trades as a way to upgrade and to have cost certainty because you know when you acquire the player what it's going to cost in terms of salary for the year ahead versus free agents.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do you hang out on those waters?

[SPEAKER_00]: You don't know if something the year number is going to get blown out by another team.

[SPEAKER_02]: The question that I've been dying to ask someone in your position is, what do you feel like is most affected by the upcoming labor dispute, possible lockout that we're getting into, at least the new collective bargaining agreement.

[SPEAKER_02]: Is it length of deal?

[SPEAKER_02]: Is it total money?

[SPEAKER_02]: Is it average annual value?

[SPEAKER_02]: What do you feel like is the thing that teams are so [SPEAKER_02]: anti-getting into at this point because it does feel like there are some teams that are willing to grandfather themselves into a $2010 million contract for dependencies.

[SPEAKER_00]: Right.

[SPEAKER_00]: And obviously, I mean, different teams at different levels are going to handle things differently.

[SPEAKER_00]: So like the blue jazes, I think you guys are to agree with me.

[SPEAKER_00]: When we think about big money, big market teams, they should be considered in the same class.

[SPEAKER_00]: It seems like the Dodgers and the Mets and the, you know, the Phillies, the Yankees.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're kind of an outlier what the how they spent this winter.

[SPEAKER_00]: So the two major impacts for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Um, we just had an owner's meeting what 10 days ago and they all got together and in that, the, the labor strategy, whatever it's going to be was laid out and I don't think it's a coincidence that coming off that meeting a lot of the teams are signaling we don't have that much money to spend.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think that's one.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think the owners are looking at the uncertainty of 2027 and how much that season is going to be played and they don't want to commit necessarily.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I think it's affecting the owners behavior and I think that GM's behavior is affected in this way.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you have a player who is under team control in 2027 and you might think about trading next summer, [SPEAKER_00]: You better trade him now because if you wait till next summer and we have that labor uncertainty and writers are saying, well, whole season might be banged or, you know, in their meetings, the owners are hearing that they are having no conversations with the player association, and it's ugly and we're headed toward, you know, mayhem.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to get equal value for a player like McKenzie Gore, [SPEAKER_00]: you better do it now because next summer teams may not be willing to pay as much or give you true value because we don't know what's going to happen in 2007.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that's why I think and I talked to some of the yesterdays, and McKenzie-Gourz is going to get traded.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, this is [SPEAKER_00]: the time that you trade that guy, the marlins as you know Jack, I mean he, they have a few guys who fit that category.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you want to get true value for Sandy Alcantara, maybe that's, you know, now's the time to do it.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, I'm thinking of a guy like Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians.

[SPEAKER_00]: If we went to the next summer, maybe you don't get as much value.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I do think the general managers are being more aggressive in trade talk because of that factor.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I want to hang on the two players that you just mentioned, Mackenzie Gore and Steven Kwan, who are the team's most interested in those two players.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't have specifics on Kwan, and some of the folks I've talked to have spoken with the Guardians believe that there's a chance the Guardians keep in many way because the Guardians are trying to win.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, and this is not the first rodeo for Chris Anthony, who runs baseball ops there.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's traded great players before.

[SPEAKER_00]: So he's not going to react.

[SPEAKER_00]: Mackenzie Gore, and it's going to sound like a cop-out, but it just feels like that the field is so wide for a player like that.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, the nationals, you know, and I had, I [SPEAKER_00]: To Bonay on my podcast the other day and he mentioned that he talked to McKenzie Gore about the possibility Hey, your name is going to be out there because a lot of teams are asking about you.

[SPEAKER_00]: One agent sent to me that more than anything else, what he's hearing from teams is pitching, pitching, pitching.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, you know, he would fit the San Francisco Giants who are not going to be fishing in the big waters for, you know, high end pitching.

[SPEAKER_00]: He would fit the Baltimore Orioles.

[SPEAKER_00]: you know for sure and especially with the way the oil is the business where they don't like giving multi-year deals out.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you're the Houston Astros and you're trying to upgrade, he would fit them.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean we go through so many teams where it McKenzie Gore actually would fit because he's not that expensive in terms of his salary.

[SPEAKER_02]: interesting and know there's another guy obviously could tell Marte is the biggest bat that's possibly available on the trademark it but McKenzie Gore can quickly become left in pitcher two on the trademark it if Scott Harris wants to move a little bit.

[SPEAKER_02]: What are you hearing on the Tarrick Schoolful Front if anything?

[SPEAKER_00]: So I asked the highly ranked executive yesterday, do you think school was going to be moved?

[SPEAKER_00]: And you know, that I was doing that exercise a month ago.

[SPEAKER_00]: And at that time, most of the people that I was talking to were saying, nah, probably not.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to try to win.

[SPEAKER_00]: They'll go through the process.

[SPEAKER_00]: They'll hear offers and then, you know, a little wind of keeping them.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then seeing walkaways and freeze in the end of 26.

[SPEAKER_00]: First I talked to yesterday said, yeah, I think they are going to trade in it.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because when you really get down to brass tax on it, okay?

[SPEAKER_00]: If you're the tigers, you're basically, you're weighing the value of trying to compete in one year.

[SPEAKER_00]: In 2026, with schoolable versus, oh my god, we might get 18 years of teen control.

[SPEAKER_00]: prospects that you get.

[SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, there's some players like when mokey bets got traded, the value that the red sauce got back wasn't that great.

[SPEAKER_00]: It'd probably would have been better for the red sauce just to keep mokey bets.

[SPEAKER_00]: The tigers are going to get blown away by scuba offers.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure.

[SPEAKER_00]: And from what I understand, the asking prices aren't incredibly high.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, you think about this way.

[SPEAKER_00]: If you're looking at the landscape of baseball, [SPEAKER_00]: Name the players who, if they changed from one team to the next, would have the greatest impact.

[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, show how Tony would be in that conversation for sure.

[SPEAKER_00]: Terkschool will might be at the top of the list.

[SPEAKER_00]: where if you are a 75-1 team, let's say the Orioles go down the same route that they did with Corbin Burns, right, and they acquire Scott Boris Klein, who's under one year team control, my God, that would be, the Orioles prospects for 26 would change dramatically, and not every team is going to look at it that way, and focus on one year, but that's what Tara Scoobles value is, he could completely change the outlook for your team.

[SPEAKER_02]: The other interesting thought exercises it pertains to school that I've heard is you take one guy off of their team, which team suffers the most and you could all School is in the top five there where if he is not playing for Detroit, what is Detroit in 24 and 25?

[SPEAKER_00]: a hundred percent in fact he would be number one on that list you know I mean if the Yankees didn't have Aaron judge for twenty for next year it would be devastating they probably would be kind of hanging around on the bottom of the wildcard race you know an eighty eighty four wind team but it wouldn't crush them the Dodgers with all their great players of Shoyo Tony went out that would hurt but they would survive the tigers are a very different [SPEAKER_00]: And so, you know, it'll be interesting to see exactly, you know, if there's a team at some point as we saw at the trade deadline, we'll see, I'll get an hyper aggressive, make and move San Diego, get an hyper aggressive, make and move pushing all their chips in the middle of the table, will there be that team on school?

[SPEAKER_00]: And if that offer is there in front of the Tigers, do you take it?

[SPEAKER_00]: I just think if your focus is on value.

[SPEAKER_00]: and putting your team in the best possible position, not only for 26 but going forward, you trade him now because you don't want to squander that value if he just walks away and all you get his traffic compensation.

[SPEAKER_01]: So it seems like a lot of big names are probably going to be on the move, especially in this market with the impending lockout.

[SPEAKER_01]: What do you make of the recent report of the twins seemingly deciding against trading a Joe Ryan, a Pablo Lopez or [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, confusing and he started to get that at the beginning of this week where teams are like, well, you know, as much as we've all speculated about Joe Ryan, we're not getting that signal from the twins.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're not telling us that they're keeping him there.

[SPEAKER_00]: As one person said to me, there's still organizing their thoughts.

[SPEAKER_00]: And now their thoughts are, we want to keep the guys.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I'm with you.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that, you know, I remember talking with a GM once and he said to me, the worst place you can be is in the middle.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that doesn't mean he was advocating tanking, but the twins are not going to compete for that division next year.

[SPEAKER_00]: Joe Ryan is going to move one step closer to a free agency in 2026.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, also, of course, running the inherent risk of injury in this era of so many picture injuries, get value for him now.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't understand.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you get the feeling that they felt the backlash [SPEAKER_00]: of the perception that what they executed in July was a fire sale because they pushed back against that narrative and you feel like, no, you traded so many players, you clearly took a step back, you might as well go all the way and rip the band in, off all the way, and focus on trying to build your team going forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: But I heard the same thing, the twins are, you know, they're not pushing those guys at a time when they should be.

[SPEAKER_02]: it's funny I was looking at at the bullpen deal obviously it's it's bullpen arms but Dorana's two years of control left jacks has two years of control left farland has four years of control left so they they decimated a bullpen with ample control if their goal was Canadian or moderate contention in 26 my understanding is I think us as fans [SPEAKER_02]: We think the baseball calendar and the offices and moves a little bit slower than it actually does.

[SPEAKER_02]: So when you say the twins could still be collecting their thoughts, they're way too late to be in the thought collection process.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, it's point, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: Right.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I think that what we have is that they're now sort of started that conversation about collecting the thoughts was like four days ago.

[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.

[SPEAKER_00]: And now now I think the signals coming from the front office were not going to trade.

[SPEAKER_00]: And they could flip that again.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, if if they're ticket sales, you know, going into the season already, already down, they might just say, well, you know what, let's go.

[SPEAKER_00]: Again, if you're going to trade and Joe Ryan is a classic example of this, if you're going to get value for a player like Joe Ryan and trade, you better do it now and not wait till next July.

[SPEAKER_01]: Let's collect our thoughts and talk about free agents because in your most recent column for ESPN, you mentioned that while the trademarked might be robust because of the impending lockout that the top end guys are still going to get their money.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I think we just saw that with Dillon C signing with the Toronto Blue Jays.

[SPEAKER_01]: And I want to start with the biggest fish of them all, which is Kyle Tucker.

[SPEAKER_01]: And you wrote in that column that he could potentially be the biggest signing at the winter meetings [SPEAKER_01]: What are the, what are the, the group of suitors?

[SPEAKER_01]: The materializing for them and looking at familiar players in the 300 to 400 million dollar range.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's not that large, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: It's a little bit like when Shohaia was a free agent.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's nice for all the teams to dream about him, but you know the list is really short.

[SPEAKER_00]: Same thing with Juan Soto.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Toronto Blue Jays, as you guys know, Tucker went over to their complex the other day in Down and Florida.

[SPEAKER_00]: met with them, they seem to be the most aggressive team to date that I've heard of.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Philly's, you know, the question is, if Schworber leaves what's their pivot point in Kyle Tucker would be the natural turn to go.

[SPEAKER_00]: They would have money available at that point.

[SPEAKER_00]: He'd be good player for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it is interesting, you know, this week, one of the juicies things I heard was that the mats may take a run at Schworber.

[SPEAKER_00]: and, you know, we've been speculating about Cincinnati and Schorber for months, so it'll be interesting to see if Tucker winds up waiting to see how the Schorber negotiations go.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the Yankees are going to get involved on Tucker.

[SPEAKER_00]: I'd be surprised.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think the Dodgers are getting involved on Tucker.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's not a very long list for Kyle Tucker.

[SPEAKER_00]: There is definitely concern about his second half.

[SPEAKER_00]: And the injuries, some of the metrics that came out of the second half.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I've had a number of agents who don't represent him say, that's the guy who better not get stuck out in the cold in this current fridge and market.

[SPEAKER_00]: to the degree that there might be an argument to be made that you know what why don't you come back get a contract with a you know with an opt-out after the year the wave-breakman did and then hit for agency next year after the next labor agreement is signed teams are going to be more Ross you probably have more teams involved and he might be better set up there are there are [SPEAKER_00]: There's diminished enthusiasm about Tucker generally is a free agent compared to where we were right after Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

signed.

[SPEAKER_00]: The assumption was, is that Tucker would be the next $400 to $500 million player.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't hear that as much now.

[SPEAKER_01]: And following up on that, it seems like the Cubs are a team that, at least at that time, seemed to be priced out of Kyle Tucker if he was getting a $400 million contract.

[SPEAKER_01]: But if the market cools on him a little bit, have you heard of a number that the Cubs might get [SPEAKER_00]: No, I haven't heard of a specific number.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Cubs behavior, what we've seen in the last release since they began to break up that 2016 championship team is that, I mean, they mostly have inhabited the middle of the payroll rankings, which I think is crazy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Like the idea that last summer, excuse me, last spring, they had a bit of $120 million for Alex Breckman was embarrassing.

[SPEAKER_00]: for a franchise like the Cubs.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, my God, this Chicago Cubs, but their ownership dictates their payroll, they're generally speaking pretty conservative.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if it cubs, that's the thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, the Cubs theoretically could be in play on Tucker, if the market collapses back to them, but at that point, if your Kyle Tucker, maybe you're considering all your options.

[SPEAKER_00]: Again, with the short-term deal and opting out and going forward, [SPEAKER_00]: because I can't imagine the Cubs paying $350, $400 million.

[SPEAKER_00]: That's not the way they operate their team in recent years.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's interesting.

[SPEAKER_02]: Again, we're chatting with Buster Olnie of ESPN.

[SPEAKER_02]: And I do want to bring up our discord question right now, a question from our discord community.

[SPEAKER_02]: This one from Dodgers fan, 05, but it's not a Dodger-related question.

[SPEAKER_02]: which position market do you expect to start moving first and what are the feelings around the league regarding the impending lock out there in terms of a position market moving and I have a quick follow-up to that.

[SPEAKER_02]: You mentioned the market possibly cooling on Tucker yet we just saw two hundred and ten dished out for Dylan Seas.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, like could we see if Tucker goes, could we see a quick waterfall of bellinger going as well and possibly beta going as well or is it the starting pitching market that you feel like is moving next?

[SPEAKER_00]: starting pitching market is definitely moving like i i think a lot of the trade stuff is built around that uh...

you mentioned could tell marte i mean my god you could pencil him in a lot of different teams where he would make sense but i think the starting pitching is where that starts and on the position player side although co-tuckers probably going to want to put the biggest contract at that group actually feel like shwerbers kind of like the lynch pen [SPEAKER_00]: We have this every winner where you're waiting for one guy to go, and the fact that Schwarver seems to be commanding the attention of the fillies and the meds could have an impact on what's going to happen with Kyle Tucker going forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: So he might have to wait for Schwarver to get resolved.

[SPEAKER_00]: Um, you know, we assumed all summer that Chwarper was going to get, you know, the biggest offer has been fill it out.

[SPEAKER_00]: He fillies.

[SPEAKER_00]: They had to keep him, uh, but if the Mets are serious and being involved, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: Or is this just a situation like a couple of years ago when the Braves pushed on Aaron Nola wanted to make it uncomfortable for the fillies.

[SPEAKER_00]: He winds up, you know, and the Braves did that knowing that they probably would be, you know, he'd be likely to go back to the fillies.

[SPEAKER_00]: I, I kind of wonder if that's part of what the Mets are doing, but what you hear about the Mets is, I mean last year there was so much talk about how their clubhouse was not cohesive.

[SPEAKER_00]: Not only, if you sign costs for, but not only you're getting a great player, 56 home runs, the high-end base percentage, but you're also getting one of the few players where there's a perception of tangible difference in clubhouse culture because of one guy.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I can give you guys so many great stories about Coswar, what a team it is.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, one that coach distilled it down to this for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: Said every day, Coswar versus the clubhouse cares about two things.

[SPEAKER_00]: Winning and pulling the team closer together.

[SPEAKER_00]: And you hear stories of him meeting with this person and this person saying, hey, how do we get Peter Pell to do more of what we're trying to do here?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, that guy Jack McBolley has been sitting by himself on the plane.

[SPEAKER_00]: How do we get him in what interests him, what hobbies could get him involved?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, where do you go to college so he can present it to the group?

[SPEAKER_00]: He is actively doing that sort of thing on a regular basis.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if you're the metts, you might look at him as being like human, human, you know, something like a bandage for the whole group and help out that clubhouse.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so I'm really fascinated to see how that plays out.

[SPEAKER_01]: It makes it total sense why Schworberg's market would be so robust, right?

[SPEAKER_01]: You talk about the mats and you talk about the fillies I've even heard that the reds are interested in kind of a hometown reunion and he would probably hit 60 homeruns in that ballpark.

[SPEAKER_01]: Oh my god, but another name that I haven't really heard a lot about is Pidalonso.

[SPEAKER_01]: Pidalonso has a few years younger, displays similar power, actually plays a position at first base.

[SPEAKER_01]: I'll be it not that well.

[SPEAKER_01]: This season, can you kind of compare those two markets and how they're [SPEAKER_00]: So I just, I mean, think about, you know, what we just saw with Josh Nailer and his contract, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: 90, what, 92 and a half million dollars.

[SPEAKER_00]: He signs with the Seattle Mariners and another first baseman.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's not a power hit or like Pete is, but he's considered to be a better defender.

[SPEAKER_00]: He's considered to be a better base runner.

[SPEAKER_00]: He hits really great pitching in big spots.

[SPEAKER_00]: He demonstrated that during the postseason.

[SPEAKER_00]: All of that is to say it was part of the reason why when Pete right after the mess of the horrific collapse in the minutes after that, he's telling the beat reporters, you know, I'm opting out of my deal and he starts talking about the mess in the past tense.

[SPEAKER_00]: which I'm sure was strategic from his perspective, and I'm thinking, what are you doing?

[SPEAKER_00]: You need the Mets.

[SPEAKER_00]: Your value is greater to the Mets than any other team.

[SPEAKER_00]: Any other team is going to look at you purely for your production.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're not looking at you because you're the polar bear, and you broke Darrell's strawberries, record, and your legacy player, the way the mets look at you, and it shocked me.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have felt like all along.

[SPEAKER_00]: Pete needs the mets, you know?

[SPEAKER_00]: And he might need the mets more than the mets need him.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, if they, in fact, assign Kyle Schwover, I think that's the end.

[SPEAKER_00]: like I think they'll move on from Pete.

[SPEAKER_00]: I have not heard a lot.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, there's talk about the red socks needed corner in field.

[SPEAKER_00]: There's no doubt.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think Breggman's going to go back there in the end.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he'll talk to the Cubs.

[SPEAKER_00]: He'll talk to Detroit.

[SPEAKER_00]: Those teams are injected again in this conversation, but he's going to go back there.

[SPEAKER_00]: So he's not going to go there.

[SPEAKER_00]: Who else is [SPEAKER_00]: for a corner in field.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Philly's theoretically could.

[SPEAKER_00]: If Schwerber leaves, Bryce Harper is told the Philly's have moved the outfield, you could sign Pete Alonso.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't see them doing that.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that they would be more inclined to pursue a player like Tucker.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I have not heard Pete's name evolve.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I have one agent say to me, look, who doesn't represent him.

[SPEAKER_00]: Look, we saw last winter how the market values P.

He had to wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wind up signing this, you know, relatively short.

[SPEAKER_00]: Multi-year deal with the mats that gave him the opt-out.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's not a good time for him.

[SPEAKER_02]: No, most are only a couple more for you.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm curious about this met dynamic with the possibility of effectively swapping Schwerber in for Alonzo in that lineup.

[SPEAKER_02]: It's interesting to me because obviously you lay out the clubhouse dynamic that Schwerber could bring to New York.

[SPEAKER_02]: I'm also just thinking about line of protection for a guy like Soto.

[SPEAKER_02]: Do you feel like New York views Schwabber instead of Alonzo as a lineup protection upgrade for Lendor and Soto?

[SPEAKER_02]: Much like, I know you and Paul Hembikidis had this conversation on baseball tonight.

[SPEAKER_02]: About Philly, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: Is Harper properly protected?

[SPEAKER_02]: If you bring Schwabber back, you feel like he is more properly protected?

[SPEAKER_02]: Is there a lineup protection aspect to the Metz-Persuit of Schwabber?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I think, you know, and the Philly certainly Rob Thompson said all on this, David and Browsky said all on this, you know, something I remember first hearing from Clint Hurtle many years ago, line up protections, not only a guy behind but the guy in front.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if you put a guy on the base, then in front of a great hit or the picture's going to be backed into a corner.

[SPEAKER_00]: So I'm sure, I mean, how many players are going to be consistently on base more than Kyle Swarber?

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, if you put him, you know, you put him, or if you, let's say, and I haven't really thought about how the mess would, you know, stack up their line in.

[SPEAKER_00]: But if you had Schworber leading off and you had Lindor hidden too, or you had Lindor with the speed, lead off, Schworber too, one, soto, three, I mean, can you imagine a starting picture having to go through Schworber and soto back to back, you know, or two among two of the first three hitters they've faced, two guys who know the strikes on a work [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you'd be at a 15 pitches by the time you get to for the school in door and it's not like that's going to be easy either moving burrows from the queens to the Bronx.

[SPEAKER_01]: What do you make of the recent comments by owner, how Steinbrenner about the payroll situation and [SPEAKER_01]: do you think that the Yankees are truly going to be the huge spenders like they normally are in the off season.

[SPEAKER_01]: We've seen them connect it to Kyle Tucker.

[SPEAKER_01]: Of course, I'm sure they'd want to bring back a player like Cody Belinger or do you think that they're going to stick to their word where they don't want to escalate the payroll like previous seasons.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I don't think they're going to go crazy.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think they are going to sign, you know, I think they're saving some money for their bullpen.

[SPEAKER_00]: And the one thing is, and there are a lot of times, I think the bullpen market is going to move very slowly.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be a case where the volume is going to work against the players.

[SPEAKER_00]: The supply and demand is going to work against the players.

[SPEAKER_00]: They're over 100 unsigned free agent relievers.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean it's crazy.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so if you are the Yankees or any of the team for that matter, you look at the bullpen market saying, you know what?

[SPEAKER_00]: We're just going to wait.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because they're going to be some good relievers available.

[SPEAKER_00]: It prices that we like, where our analytic department believes that we can help that player if they assign them.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think so many teams are going to operate that way, and I think the eighties have a chunk of money set aside to deal with that at some point during the winter time, and maybe that's going to be an in-mid-to-late January.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think they'll stay in the Ballinger conversations, you know, stay in the Tucker's conversations, but in the end it might be to push other teams.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, Brian Cashman, you'll never hear him say, yeah, we're not going to be interested in this star player, this star player.

[SPEAKER_00]: Because he knows the Yankees presence alone will push the cost for the Red Sox or for the Matts.

[SPEAKER_00]: Or, you know, other teams viewed as their rival.

[SPEAKER_00]: Do I think that they're going to wind up spending, you know, $200 million plus on a player this winter?

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't.

[SPEAKER_00]: I just, and, you know, I think how insane that what is essentially preparing his fanbase for the possibility that they're not going to go out and get one of these big names.

[SPEAKER_02]: Interesting.

[SPEAKER_02]: Buster only, last one for me has to do with that reliever market.

[SPEAKER_02]: There are so many good seventh inning guys that are out there, right?

[SPEAKER_02]: And I'm just trying to funnel the reliever market into people that can handle the ninth inning and could possibly get more than a two-year deal.

[SPEAKER_02]: Like Tyler Rogers will get a three-year deal, but he's not handling the ninth inning.

[SPEAKER_02]: You've got guys like Edwin Diaz who's still sitting out there.

[SPEAKER_02]: Robert Swara's Fairbanks, Finnegan.

[SPEAKER_02]: How does the closer market look for you?

[SPEAKER_02]: Is Edwin Diaz like is he a shoe end to go back to New York and form this Devon Diaz eight nine tandem or could other teams pursue a five year deal for that guy?

[SPEAKER_00]: So I will tell you that the perception of some of the teams and agencies is that the meds will feel like we got dev and Williams recover and if it's some point the mark it comes back to us on Edwin Diaz, then we'll take a look at it, but they have other priorities.

[SPEAKER_00]: They need the aircraft carrier and their rotation.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, they need that guy.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe they're the team that trades for Terric School.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, maybe they'll sign one of, you know, Ranger Suarez, one of the better free, free agent stores, but that's the priority.

[SPEAKER_00]: If they go get a Schwarber, you know, that'll obviously take up a lot of the money that they have.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think there's a chance that Edwin Diaz winds up being in this game of musical chairs this winner in which there may not be as much money as what we've seen in the past.

[SPEAKER_00]: He could be one of the guys who winds up getting stuck.

[SPEAKER_00]: uh...

where i don't see a lot of teams out there willing to you know entertaining the idea of paying a hundred million dollars and that's essentially in a ds wants to replace his uh...

you know his previous contract that he had with the mats and you can understand that perspective but do i think the dodgers are going to do that with tenor scott under contract [SPEAKER_00]: With the fact that a lot of veterans on one or two year deals wanted to deliver themselves a Dodgers.

[SPEAKER_00]: No, I don't think the Dodgers will do that.

[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about the Yankees Maybe being more efficient in what they spend going forward.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know who's going to pay Edwin Diaz a hundred million dollars I'm I'm surprised now if we get midway through the winner and then when Diaz comes back to the mess and is essentially as Pete Alonso did last winner [SPEAKER_00]: maybe at that point to Metsail, okay, well, we want you back, but here's what we can give you.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.

[SPEAKER_00]: As the Mets did with Pete Alonso.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, in some of the other guys out there, like I, I have thought all along.

[SPEAKER_00]: Somehow, because the Dodgers know Swarez firsthand so well from the National West, it just felt like to me, it's some point he's going to go there.

[SPEAKER_00]: like that would be a great option for them, you know, like a trining where if it doesn't work out well for a Tanner Scott, man, Swords would be a great option to, you know, in terms of depth that they have.

[SPEAKER_00]: And because he's 35, he's not going to command like a four or five year deal, makes sense.

[SPEAKER_01]: My last question pertains to the starting pitching market, and I saw an interesting reason report from Fat Levine.

[SPEAKER_01]: He said that Frember Valdez and his agent, they came together and created a 20 minute video to talk about who Frember is as a person, because of course, the catcher switchup thing that, you know, could potentially hurt his market with GMs.

[SPEAKER_01]: So I'm curious, do you still view him as the pitcher who's going to get the most money when we're [SPEAKER_01]: free agent starters when you have in mind you have Ranger Swares, you have the potential of Michael King do still think frombers at the top of these GM's wishlist.

[SPEAKER_00]: Take a mind is going to want to get the most money, you know, given his age, you know, given his power now, I will say I think that because of the concerns about his command, the his market may not be as robust as what was originally thought.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's interesting, when that incident happened with Fromber, there was immediate reaction was well, he sort of himself from free agency.

[SPEAKER_00]: I don't agree with that.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that there already was a perception that Fromber can be really up and down.

[SPEAKER_00]: with how he handles moments on the mound.

[SPEAKER_00]: That was something before the catcher incident the people were going to look into in the winter.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I do, you know, when I think of, you know, part of the reason why Dylan sees got paid the way that he did is that he's looked at and I say this in a complimentary way as a plow horse.

[SPEAKER_00]: right you point him in one direction you tell him just go there and he gives you 30 starts and you know there might be some variance of performance during that but you know he's very consistent with fromer there's not that perception that said in a winner in which as we talked about so many teams are looking for pitching [SPEAKER_00]: You know, do the Astros, I mean, excuse me, the Orioles eventually come back to them and say, you know what, we know, we know this guy, we know he's background because the front office connection, you know, that's a player that we're going to look at and invest in.

[SPEAKER_00]: Maybe the price for Framber comes down where it's seen like the giants who don't want to pay $200 million to start or maybe they get involved.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think the issue of his emotion on the mound was already [SPEAKER_02]: Buster only this is one of the craziest weeks on the baseball calendar so really appreciate you carve an out half an hour to chat with us Yeah, it's always fun to talk with you guys.

[SPEAKER_02]: Thank you so much