Welcome back to the Baseball Podcast.

We are deep into the end of November, and if the smell of pumpkin spice is fading, it is definitely being replaced by the metallic scent of burning cash.

That's a good way to put it.

Because the hot stove season is officially raging.

I mean, the winter meetings might be just around the corner, but frankly, the pace of news we've already gotten, it feels like we just skip the warm up entirely.

It's true, it's really true.

Historically you kind of wait, you know, for the holidays to get closer, for the big bombs to drop.

But this year has been different totally.

We've already seen some really dramatic shifts in team payrolls, some foundational roster moves that are really reshaping the competitive landscape.

If you're trying to catch up on what matters, this is the place to be.

That is exactly our mission today.

We're going to cut through all the noise, ignore those little whispers, and focus strictly on the biggest confirmed transactions, will analyze the juiciest rumors that have you know, realtrategic implications, and.

We'll get into some of the surprising clubhouse drama that might just force even bigger moves in the next few weeks.

Yeah.

Yeah, And we have to start with the deals that are actually done, because three major moves immediately set the tone for the spending and well the volatility of this whole off season.

Okay, lay them out for us.

First, the Toronto Blue Jays, they made an absolute franchise defining commitment to their rotation.

They signed Dylan.

Ceese, the top guy available, a top.

Trade target, to a massive seven year, two hundred and ten million dollar contract.

I mean that move alone solidifies the Al East as a pitching powerhouse division.

I think solidifize as an understatement, and you could feel the ripple effect immediately right The rival Boston Red Sox felt that pressure instantly.

They made a crucial move of their own to bolster their rotation, though they went the trade route.

They acquired the veteran right hander Sonny Gray from the Cardinals, so boom two immediate high end pitching russiansanging the balance of power in just one division.

And then came the move that reminds us that no player doesn't matter how popular or how productive you are, nobody is safe.

The Shocker The Shocker, the Mets and the Rangers executing a pure one for one swap of former All stars.

Marcus Semon is heading to.

The Mets and Brandon Nimo is moving to the Rangers.

It is a jaw dropping exchange.

It addresses wildly different needs for both clubs, but critical needs, and that right there is where the fun starts.

Okay, let's unpack this core theme then, trading anchors for opportunity.

We focus so much on chasing new superstars, but sometimes the most strategically brilliant moves are while just cleaning up your own past mistakes.

And we have a perfect case study in failed investments starting out in Anaheim.

Of course, this is a painful story, but it's an important one.

It really highlights the difference between organizations that spend strategically, you know, think of the Dodgers and those that have historically been let's just say, financially reckless.

The Angels under Arte Moreno exactly.

Yeah, The official news is that the Angels are in talks to buy out the final guaranteed year of Anthony Rendon's contract.

The full expectation is that he will just retire.

The scale of failure on this deal is it's almost unbelievable when you look at the numbers.

This was a two hundred and forty five million dollar investment.

Two hundred and forty five million.

And what they got for it was a slash line of just point two four to two point three four eight point three sixty nine over the entire term.

I mean, those are basically replacement level numbers for nearly a quarter of a billion dollars.

And here's the figure that truly truly defines the blunder.

Over the seven year term of that contract, Rendon appeared in only two hundred and fifty seven out of a possible one thousand, one hundred and thirty four Angels games.

Wow, that is just twenty three percent attendance from your highest paid player.

It's been cited internally as this single biggest reason the Angels struggled to build a contending roster around Mike trout Let alone can vis shoe Aotani to.

Stay, and Rendon is just the final most expensive nail in a long dark history of owner Arte Moreno's bad, big money decisions.

You can look back at the contracts for Albert Poohols and Josh Hamilton total albatross deals, huge deals that just hamstrung the franchise for years, even the Justin Upton deal.

When you make that many bad foundational investments, you simply cannot compete with smart organizations.

It doesn't matter what size your market is.

So what here is huge rendons buy out even if they have to eat, say thirty five million this year gives the Angels their greatest immediate financial flexibility in years.

They are removing a massive chunk of dead money from any future commitments.

But flexibility is just potential energy.

Right where does that money actually go?

Are they truly dangerous now?

Oh?

Absolutely?

This immediately positions them as a potentially dangerous sleeper selling free agency.

They're suddenly able to compete on the top tier for specific talents.

So who are they looking at?

Well, we know they need a top end starter was seize off the board.

Names like Ranger Suarez or maybe even tatsu Yemi are suddenly realistic targets for a team that can now offer competitive five or six year deals.

The need for pitching is desperate, and for the first time in a while, they could finally answer it with spending that.

Makes a ton of sense.

I mean, they have to show Trout and the fans they're finally serious about winning.

But while they're aiming high, they're also making some smart minor moves focusing on depth, and that's usually the sign of a truly disciplined front office.

Right.

They brought back the switch hitting outfielder Gasavo Campero on a minor league deal.

He's a utility depth piece, but his technical metrics are outstanding.

He grades out in the ninety first percentile for base running in the eighty six percentile for arm strength.

Okay, unpack that for us.

What does ninety first percentile base running actually mean in terms of tangible value in a game?

It means he turns singles into doubles effortlessly.

He forces the defense to play faster, to play wider in a tight ladening game.

Having a pinch runner who you know can take that extra base as absolute gold in the arm.

The arm strength eighty six percentile means he can play all three outfield positions and fire the ball accurately from the corner, holding runners on the base pats.

He's the ideal insurance policy against their injury prone outfield, and he's a necessary depth piece that gives their manager Kurt Suzuki a ton of flexibility late in games.

That context is crucial.

Okay, Now, let's shift across the country to the Mets, who are dealing with a totally different kind of cleanup.

This one is about managing star egos and recovering from pass regrets under the Steve Cohen era.

Yeah, the clubhouse friction reports are very concerning.

We know that superstars Jon Soto and Francisco Lindor reportedly lacked chemistry last season.

And it wasn't just a rumor.

No, this boiled over into a very public verbal confrontation over a defensive laps during a huge game against the Phillies back in June.

When your two biggest offensive anchors are not aligned, it creates a real organizational rift.

And while money solves a lot of problems, it definitely doesn't solve chemistry.

Looking back at that ten worst Mets free agent signings list during Cohen's tenure, it really underscores how quickly you can waste resources.

The Eduardo Escobar contract really stands out as a prime example of an expensive miss.

It cost them ten million in twenty twenty two, and then half of nine point five million in twenty twenty three, he just ended his Mets tenure with minimal value.

I remember that his signing was only slightly salvaged by one single incredible month.

That September twenty twenty two finish where he was the NL Player of the Month was a beastly surge that allowed the Mets to temporarily stay afloat.

But before that his line was just ugly.

He was batting point two point eight point twenty six y nine point three eight three.

So even that fantastic finish couldn't really mask the underlying long term disappointment, and they traded him away.

It just shows how one spectacular month can only briefly mask an overall underperformance, which brings.

Us right back to the Nimo and Semi in exchange.

You mentioned this was about optimizing the roster, but let's push back on the strategic rational a little bit.

Nimol was a massive on base.

Doesn't this move fundamentally trade reliable production for an aging offense, risky defensive upgrade.

That is a fair challenge and it really cuts to the heart of what the Mets are trying to build.

Nimo's on base skill is a career point three eighty five obp are elite, but the Mets have plenty of offense with Sodo, Lindor and Pete Alonso likely coming.

Back, so they're betting on run creation from other guys.

Exactly what they needed desperately.

It was defensive stability in the middle infield, especially given that reported friction between Sodo and Lindor, so this is.

A culture and positioning play.

The Mets are getting elite defense in Marcus Semion, a two time Gold Glove winner who ranks third in outs above average OA among second basements since.

Twenty twenty three, and just for everyone listening, OAA is the metric that tells you how many plays a fielder makes that an average fielder would not.

Being third best shows he is consistently elite.

That's right.

So Semon stabilizes second base and that allows Lindor to worry less about coverage and just focus on being a great shortstop.

It's an investment in team defense, and they hope internal harmony.

They think that will mitigate the offensive question mark, and.

That question mark is significant.

Semin's ops plus declined from one hundred and twenty six in twenty twenty three down to a below average ninety seven.

Last season, he is thirty five, and that drop off is definitely concerning.

However, he is arguing, and the Mets are clearly buying this argument, that he found his form over the final seventy one.

Games last season, right before the injury.

Before a season ending foot injury, he slashed a very respectable point two seven, zero point three three, eight point four sixty four.

If he maintains that level of production, the Mets probably win this trade.

And what about the leadership Voidnimo was universally respected.

Semin is a veteran.

You know, he's played over sixteen hundred career games.

He doesn't need to be the de facto captain with Lindor and Sodo there, but he's expected to be a positive, stable presence.

He spoke about that, didn't he about feeling that void.

He emphasized his desire to create a brotherhood and focused on his work ethic.

He sees his role as providing consistent accountability and stability, something that might have been missing during all that reported friction.

The Mets are betting that defensive stability at second base, coupled with this high character veteran presence, is more critical to their championship hopes right now than Neimo's on base prowess.

It's a really aggressive, calculated risk.

Before we leave the Mets, we should probably touch on the David Peterson situation because his season long inconsistency kind of mirrors the volatility of the entire organization.

Peterson, the left handed starter, had an incredibly inconsistent twenty twenty five.

I mean, he was an All Star and a Gold Glove final in.

Which is surface success that masks extreme volatility.

His RA in the first half was a fantastic three point zero six, but he absolutely imploded in the second half, posting a six point three to four ERA.

And a brutal nine point seven to two ERA in September.

It's just a total c.

So what caused that extreme drop off?

I mean, that's not normal fatigue, that's just a major mechanical issue, or maybe he was tipping pitches.

Analysis points to two factors, one mechanical fatiguing in his delivery, which led to inconsistent release points and allowed hitters to tie them up better.

But more critically, there were reports he was tipping his change up in that second half, so hitters were just sitting on his fastball, and when he tried to execute his secondary pitches, they got hit hard.

He's entering his final season before free agency, and given the Mets are focused on cost control, he's a definite trade candidate for teams looking for a reclamation project with control, maybe like the Pirates or the Rockies.

Okay, let's shift our gaze from contracts and internal dynamics to the arms race dominating the hot stove pitching year after year, it remains the most expensive and demanded asset in the game.

Starting in Baltimore, the Orioles are fortifying their late innings with some serious force.

They signed closer Ryan Helsley to a deal worth up to twenty eight million over two years, and crucially, it includes a year one opt out.

That is a hefty price tag for a reliever, even one of Helsley's caliber.

He's a former nlsa's leader.

But he's also coming off that quote disastrous stint with the Mets after they acquired him at the deadline last season.

So what's the risk reward calculation here for Baltimore.

Well, the risk is obvious if he struggles.

They've committed significant funds to a very volatile position.

But The reward is that when he's right, you know, in his old cardinal form, he is one of the top closers in the game with a career two point nine.

To six er, and that opt out is the key piece.

The opt out is critical.

If he returns to e lit form, he can hit the market again next winter, guaranteeing the Orioles get one year of elite service or they keep him at a high but manageable rate for two years.

This is their second big bullpen edition this month, following the reacquisition of Andrew Kittridge, so it shows they are very serious about building a late game fortress to complement their young rotation.

Now, let's look at the trade market for elite talent, starting with this bizarre catching conundrum down in Atlanta surrounding Sean Murphy.

Yeah, Murphy is definitely available, and his trade availability stem from two conflicting factors.

First, he's recovering from right hif laboral tear surgery that he suffered in September.

He struggled really severely down the stretch, raising some major health questions.

And the second factor, second and maybe more importantly, is the rise of the reigning and l Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin right.

Baldwin's emergence as a left handed offensive force at catcher completely reduces the organizational need for Murphy, who was still under control for three more years.

At forty five million dollars, that's a large salary commitment for a catcher recovering from a serious hip injury.

So trading Murphy frees up that salary, and given the scarcity of good catchers, could net Atlanta a top tier young starting pitcher or a key middle of the order bat.

Atlanta is operating from a position of strength here, converting an injured, expensive surplus asset into flexible resources.

This is how smart organizations stay ahead of the curve.

Meanwhile, the small market dilemma is hitting Milwaukee hard.

There are these persistent rumors that owner Mark Adinassio may be ordering a painful payroll offloading.

If this mandate is true, they might have to trade their ace starter, Freddy Peralta.

This would be a potential league wide seismic event.

Peralta was an All Star, he finished fifth in the nl CY Young voting, and he's on an unbelievably affordable deal with an eight million dollar option He is exactly the type of player a small market team needs to.

Keep, but moving him would met them an astronomical return in prospects, yet it would severely damage their twenty twenty six hopes.

So why would add Nausio force this now?

When the Brewers were the best team in the NL Central last season.

It's the constant, painful cycle of small market baseball.

They realize Paralta's value will never be higher, and if the mandate is to cut long term payroll, moving him now prevents them from facing an even more expensive contract decision two years down the line.

It's painful asset management, but it's designed to maximize the return before the cost becomes unmanageable.

And to make matters even worse, they have internal risk management issues.

Extension talks with their young fireballer jaicob Missiowski have reportedly stalled without any real momentum.

Miziurowski is a very high risk, high reward proposition.

He burst onto the scene with huge velocity, but sort of lost steam late, finishing five to three with a four point three six ERA.

The risk of extending him now is twofold.

He's unproven over a full major league season.

And his extreme hard throwing nature raises significant injury.

Flags, So the Brewers are caught.

They're caught between wanting to secure a potential future ace and being terrified of committing big money to a highly volatile arm.

It's a tough spot.

Now, Let's move to the West coast, where the Giants are navigating the Japanese pitching market.

President Buster Posey stated publicly that the Giants have the means and the drive to spend aggressively, but their actions seem to contradict that.

They really do.

ESPN reported a strong indication that the Giants are not making a serious push for the star Japanese pitcher Hatsuya Imai.

And the premier free agent pitcher coming out of Japan since Yamamoto right, a three time NPB All Star, expected to command a contract upwards of one hundred and fifty million at least, but.

The Giants instead are reportedly focusing on modestly priced arms.

So why the hesitation?

If you publicly declare you're ready to spend, why pass on a guy like Emai?

It suggests they either don't believe Imai is worth that premium, perhaps due to a perceived lack of command relative to the asking price, or they believe the money is better spent addressing multiple roster holes with bi.

Low candidates, and their recent moves support that theory.

Their confirmablepen edition definitely supports this theory.

They took a chance on former Guardians lefty Sam Henches, who was non tendered due to shoulder issues that cost him the entire twenty twenty five season.

Henjes had a fantastic two point three to two ERA back in twenty twenty two before the injury, so that's a massive discount if he can return to form.

It's a classic low cost, high reward strategy.

You target place recovering from serious issues and you just hope you strike.

Gold cheaply exactly, And if the Giants are not competing for AMAI, that leaves the top remaining domestic free agent starter Ranger Suarez as the big prize for the rest of the market.

The feel has narrowed dramatically with Sea signing in Toronto and Gray getting traded to Boston.

Suarez is now the undisputed top arm available.

Let's break down the three most realistic landing spots for mister Rager.

Number one has to be the Baltimore Orioles.

Yeah, they are aggressively looking for a top tier starter to pair with their young core.

They have the money to spend, and they're not deterred by the qualifying offer that's attached to Suarez.

He's a ground ball specialist, which is perfect for the deep dimensions of Cambin yards.

Okay, spot number two second.

The Chicago Cubs.

Cub's president Jed Hoyer has prioritized pitching stability.

Sores would secure their rotation long term, especially given that three of their projected starters outside of Justin Steele are already over the age of thirty four.

He would provide that necessary veterans stability opposite Steel.

Finally, and finally, the San Francisco Giants, despite passing on Emi, If Posey really wants a number two starter behind Logan Webb, Suarez is a perfect logical fit.

His experience in the NL and his elite ground ball ability make him an ideal pitcher for the unique dynamics of Oracle Park, which really rewards sinkerballers.

That fit is often overlooked, isn't it.

Park factors matter hugely in these decisions.

His profile is just tailor made for San Francisco, it really is.

We should also mention some international depth.

Former Rangers right hander Kohei Arihara is seeking an MLB return after struggling with the shoulder aneurysm during his previous stateside stint.

Arijara's story is one of resilience.

He returned to NPB and posted three highly productive seasons, including back to back one hundred and seventy five plus innings campaigns with eras around two point three.

To five, so that shows he's well past the health issue completely.

Durability and command stability are highly prized, especially for your fourth and fifth rotation spot, and his recent success gives him genuine momentum for an affordable MLB return.

And on the domestic depth side, the Detroit Tigers made a quote shrewd move by re signing right hander Tanner Rainey to a minor league contract after non tendering him.

But is that really shrewd or is it just risky?

I mean, they saved themselves and estimated one point six million in arbitration salary, which is good for the budget, but they exposed a useful high upside arm to the market completely unnecessarily.

So another team could have just scooped him up.

If another team had claimed him, they would have lost him completely.

They were gambling that his recovery from injury made him unappealing to other teams.

It paid off for them, but it was still a gamble designed solely to minimize their financial obligation.

All right, let's transition to the offensive side of the hot stove.

If pitching drives value, bats drive excitement, and no team is showing a more aggressive appetite for hitters right now than the Boston Red Sox.

No, They've already secured Sunny Gray for the rotation, and now reports indicate they're aiming to acquire not one, but two high end bats.

And this is critical because they're prioritizing right handed hitters to balance their extremely lefty heavy lineup.

Their offense just lacked balance and power last year.

Their target list is truly star studded.

I mean, you've got Alex Bregman, which would be a reunion after his outstanding postseason run with them last year.

DH and outfielder Kyle Schwarber, who is coming off an almost unbelievable fifty six homer season.

First baseman Pete Alonzo and veteran catcher j t Real.

Muto Alonso is a particularly intriguing fit because of Fenway Park's short left field wall and his powerstroke is just tailor made for that stadium.

However, acquiring him might necessitate trading their incumbent first baseman Kristin Kassas, who's coming back from major knee injury.

So that's a huge decision for Boston's future core.

And beyond the domestic free agents, they are serious players internationally.

They're showing major interest in Japanese star Kazuma O Komodo.

He's a right handed slugger who hit fifteen homers in seventy seven MPB games last season, and he has one hundred and thirteen over the last four years.

He's arguably the second best international bat available.

And we have to talk about the complimentary targets rate.

If they swing and miss on that top tier, they need reliable depth.

That's where a player like first baseman Ryan O'Hearn comes in.

He is projected for a relatively short term deal, maybe two years for under forty million.

He offers a solid point two seven to seven average andero point seven eight eight ohops over the last three years, making him an excellent high floor stop gap if they can't land Alonzo.

Speaking of Schwarber and the high end bats, let's look at the Phillies and they're pending decision on the fifty six homer Man.

He is currently not close to a deal with Philadelphia.

The debate among Phillies fans and analysts is heated.

Schwarber will command a minimum of four years, potentially pushing him into his late thirties, and despite the power, his age and his defensive limitations, which are a major concern, are causing many to favor pivoting to younger, more versatile stars like Cody Bellinger or Katel Marte.

So if Schwarber leaves, the suitors are already lined up Boston, the Mets, the Orioles in Cincinnati, which is his hometown, giving them a bit of a geographical advantage.

It really sounds like the Phillies' front office is leaning toward prioritizing defensive flexibility and avoiding an overpaid, long term deal that just clogs up their dh BOT for years.

They are also exploring bringing back former players for cost effective help, which is always a smart strategy.

Left Hander Hoby Milner is a huge value add there he's evolved into an elite ground ball pitcher, and he corrected his formally high walk rate.

He boasts a ground ball rate over fifty percent in each of the last three seasons.

What does that ground ball rate really mean?

Strategically for the Phillies At.

Citizens Bank Park, which is a notorious hitters park, getting ground balls is essential to limit home runs.

Milner forces contact down, minimizing the damage of the deep flyball, and he's projected to cost just over four million dollars.

That is an enormous amount of reliable value for that price tag in a hitter's environment.

They're also looking at outfielder Austin Hayes, hoping he can rebound after a disappointing twenty twenty four stint post trade, and rady Sir Anthony Domingez, who found his game again with the Blue Jays after a tough twenty twenty four with Philly.

Yeah, he posted a three point zero ERA at a one point one four whip in Toronto.

Familiarity often breeds consistency, especially for relievers.

Moving north, we arrive at the biggest roster headache in baseball, the Yankees outfield and infield logjam.

They need to sort out prospects Jessin Demingez and Spencer Jones.

If they go out and acquire a top player like Bellinger or Tucker, it is almost guaranteed that one of these high pedigree prospects will be traded.

Okay, so let's break down the kids.

Jones is a lefty slugger who mashed thirty five home runs across Double A and Triple A in twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five.

Do Mingez, the switch hitter.

He struggled significantly from the right side in his first full MLB season, batting just point two zero four against lefty.

That platoon split for Domingez is concerning.

If they bring in a star, they need to clear a room, and this raises the specter of cutting John Carlo Stanton.

Oh Man, he has still owed thirty five million dollars over the next two years.

He is eating that money seems unthinkable, but some view cutting Stanton as a necessary evil to clear the DH and outfield space for Jones and Domingez.

What is the financial reality of that decision.

The Yankees would have to eat a significant portion of that salary, maybe fifteen to twenty million dollars just to make Stanton a cheap acquisition for another team.

They have the financial resources, and the overriding goal is clearing the DH spot for better production and versatility while simultaneously making space for their young players.

Stanton just isn't equipped for everyday DH at bats anymore.

Not at all, and his injury history only complicates the issue.

It's a drastic move, but it's one born of desperation to utilize.

Their farm system, and the infield situation is just as messy.

There is a serious, uncomfortable shortstop competition brewing for Anthony Volpi.

Volpi's job is absolutely threatened.

His defensive decline, which was exacerbated by a partially torn labram, has caused major concern, and his offensive struggles a brutal point two one two point two seven to two point three nine to one slash line haven't helped his case.

Can you explain how partially torn labrum specifically impairs a shortstop's ability?

It's not just about pain, is it?

No?

Not at all.

A partially torn labram in the throwing shoulder drastically reduces throwing velocity and accuracy, especially on throws that require a lot of torque like throwing from the hole at shortstop.

It impacts the strength and stability of the shoulder, forcing the player to compensate, which leads to errant throws and hesitancy.

So Volpean needs to prove he can play defense at an elite level or he's looking at surgery.

That's right, and the team brought in Jose Cabiro from Tampa Bay, who is now the quote default starter for twenty twenty six.

Cabierra provides strong on base skills and dependable defense that instantly stabilize the infield.

This forces Volpi into a pure competition for his role, and twenty twenty six may truly be his last chance to cement himself at shortstop before the Yankees look elsewhere.

And the Yankees are looking elsewhere, reportedly inquiring about dback second basement and outfielder Cattel Marte.

He's arguably the best second basement in MLB over the last three years.

The fit is perfect and the contract structure is key.

Marte is on an affordable contract through twenty thirty one, which is what makes him so valuable in the current market, acquiring six years of elite production for his remaining salary is a total steal compared to what free agents are commanding.

So what would the Dbacks even want in return?

Arizona is targeting controllable MLB ready starting pitching, which the Yankees have in their farm system with guys like Cam Schlitler and Will Warren.

It would take at least two of those high ceiling pitchers plus a top position player prospect to even start the conversation for Marte.

Finally, following that Semion trade, the Rangers are now looking externally for second base help as well.

They're eyeing the Cardinals Brendan Donovan.

Jovan is a quality left handed bat who is under team control and versatile enough to play third base and left field.

He's slash point two eighty seven point three five to three point four to two two last season.

He's a much cheaper trade acquisition than Marte, providing a solid, high floor option.

If the Rangers can't land a star.

And we have to touch on the White Sox GM Chris Getz is looking to balance his right handed in field with left handed bats, and he's named prospect Sam Antonacci as a potential solution.

Antonaci is a fascinating player.

He just crushed the Arizona Fall League slashing point three seven eight point five zero five point five four to one.

He demonstrates impressive contact skills and elite plate discipline, even though he hasn't played above double A.

He's an intriguing in house solution that can save the White Sox from spending big money on a platoon.

Partner, and the Marlins, whose first base production ranked twenty seventh in the league with a terrible point sixty six to three ops, are also looking internally.

Infielder Connor Norby might see time at first base in twenty twenty six due to his defensive short cummings at third and second base.

That move makes a lot of sense.

Norby posted negative defensive runs saved at third base in twenty twenty five.

Moving him across the bimen as a way to keep his bat in the lineup while mitigating his glove risk, provided he can regain the power he showed earlier in his minor league career.

One final bat notoe Mariners target Jorge Palanko.

The Mariners are desperate for a reunion after acquiring him at the deadline, but the thirty two year old switch hitter is smartly playing out the market, and.

The Red Sox are lurking attracted to his versatility, and they have the capital to throw around.

They could potentially spoil Seattle's reunion dreams.

All right, let's shift into the deep cuts some of the developmental stories and historical anecdotes that really give baseball its texture and its flavor beyond just the transaction wire.

And we're going to start with a deeply human story of recovery and resilience.

This one is just chilling.

We have an update on the Ray's top prospect, Xavier Isaac and outfielder and first baseman.

He was limited to just forty one Double A games last season due to what was thought to be elbow and wrist issues.

But that wasn't it, not at all.

He recently revealed that he underwent life saving brain surgery on July third, twenty twenty five, after a routine brain scan for dehydration shockingly revealed a serious condition.

Wow, life saving brain surgery.

That is absolutely terrifying, and it instantly puts every single struggle on the field into sharp perspective.

The fact that he's fully recovered and expected to be ready for spring training is nothing short of miraculous.

It truly is inspiring as he moves forward, The key evaluation point remains his ability to make consistent contact.

He has massive power, but his contact rate was a question mark even before this traumatic health event.

The emotional and physical challenge of returning to high level baseball after brain surgery that will be his biggest hurdle.

His story just reminds us of the high stakes personal challenges these athletes face, and then you have the reality of the business decisions.

Rangers reliever Kayla Boushley, who pitched forty games for Texas last season, just signed a one million dollar deal with the KT Whiz in Korea.

Choosing financial certainty over the grind of Triple A ball makes perfect sense for a player who didn't achieve significant long term major league success.

Oh absolutely, that one million dollar deal comfortably exceeds what he would make on minor league deals or the MLB minimum, And Booshley brings two things that KBO teams highly value, durability and starting experience.

Right he logged over one hundred and seventy five innings in consecutive minor league.

Seasons, exactly KBO teams prioritize predictable strike throwing and health over the high velocity, high strikeout totals that MLB clubs chase.

It's a completely different valuation system, and he's smart to capitalize on it.

On the prospect front, the White Sox hold the second overall pick in the Rule five draft and they are eyeing former Marlin's sixth overall pick, Jacob Barry.

Barry and an infielder or an outfielder is a very high upside target.

He showed significant improvement in twenty twenty five in Triple A, hitting point twenty six y' one with a point three four eight OBP and twenty seven stolen basis.

But the Rule five draft is tricky, isn't it.

He has to remain on the active roster all season.

He does, which is a big commitment, But his drafts pedigree, his positional versatility, and his recent performance make him a hard player to pass up for a rebuilding team like the White Sox.

All right, let's move to the culture corner, celebrating the unsung heroes and the quirky details of the game.

Blue Jay's utility player Ernie Clement had a massive breakout year, hitting point two seven seven with twenty two defensive runs saved.

Clement's defensive versatility alone makes him invaluable, but he took his legend to a whole other level.

In October, he set an MLB record with thirty postseason.

Hits, thirty besting Randy Arizarina's previous mark of twenty nine.

He was truly phenomenal.

He was celebrated in his hometown Monroe County, New York, where he was given the key to the county and November twenty ninth was proclaimed Ernie Clement Day.

He just embodies that utility player hero, the guy who does everything well, who gives you elite defense at six different spots, and then shows up with a massive bat when it matters most.

That's why his hometown loves him.

And then we have the Giants Gold Glove catcher Patrick Bailey and his truly legendary headwear.

He's coming off two straight Gold Glove wins and it had some truly iconic offensive highlights in twenty twenty five.

The headbands are incredible, especially the patriotic ones.

His Washington crossing the Delaware headband is iconic.

Can you believe he was wearing that for both his inside the park walk off home run and his walk off Grand Slam against the Dodgers in twenty twenty five.

It's his power gear, it has to be.

He also famously wears one depicting a diced up snake, a direct nod to Ben Franklin's Joiner Die flag from the Revolutionary era.

It's clear Bailey channels that historical patriotic energy.

He's backing it up with his play, providing two years of elite defense and delivering huge moments when the Giants need the most.

That is definitely the most compelling headwear strategy in baseball.

And finally, a genuinely quirky story involving baseball history and the Vatican.

This involves a White Sox fan, Pope Leo the fourteenth, on his.

First foreign trip, flying from Rome to Turkey.

A CBS reporter gifted the Pope a bat once owned by Hall of Famer Nelly Fox.

It's just this wonderful intersection of global religion and Chicago baseball history.

The Pope was reportedly delighted, and he asked the reporter, how did you get this through security?

The detail here is fantastic.

Fox's nineteen fifty five team record of consecutive games with multiple hits was set the year the Pope was born, so it.

Adds this neat layer of personal historical context to the gift.

Exactly the Pope's fandom is well documented, and this bat just connects the history of the game directly to the current era.

So we've covered a tremendous amount of ground today tracking the biggest offseason decisions.

The Angels finally bought out the Rendun contract, freeing up significant funds to become a sudden player for top tier pitching like Ranger Suarez.

The Mets traded away the stability Brandon Nemo for the specific elite defensive profile of Marcus Semon, hoping to solidify their shaky clubhouse foundation.

The pitch market remains intense, highlighted by Hellsley signing that high risk, high reward deal in Baltimore and the trade mandate hanging over Freddie Peralta in Milwaukee forcing a really tough small market dilemma.

And on offense, the Red Sox are being incredibly aggressive, targeting multiple star hitters Bregman, Alonzo Schwarber to balance out their lineup.

And we can't forget the Yankees.

They are struggling to clear a severe log jam in their outfield, raising the specter of that painful decision to cut Stanton while simultaneously forcing a high stakes competition for Volpi at shortstop due to his injury and performance issues.

This all brings us to our final provocative thought, and it circles right back to that pressure cooker in the Bronx and their greatest player, Aaron Judge.

Judge has now secured his third al MVP.

He is clearly a Hall of Famer, but he still lacks the ultimate prize, the World Series title.

He plays for a team that is defined by the pressure to win every single.

Season, and after their elimination, he admitted they failed and needed to, in his words, clean a couple things up to get back there.

That sentiment, that feeling of responsibility, it really echoes the experience of former Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez, who also won multiple MVPs, but was famously consumed by postseason pressure.

Ay Rod later confessed that he felt he had to carry the Yankees and that immense pressure just crushed his performance.

A year after year, a.

Rod said the only year he finally managed to relax and truly enjoy.

The World Series was two thousand and nine, the year the Yankees actually won the championship.

It was the release of that decade long burden.

Now, Judge's quiet, humility and legendary dedication mean he will never publicly admit to that same internal pressure.

But given the Yankees haven't won the World Series since two thousand and nine, despite his monumental accomplishments in his multi year commitment, the question.

Remains, can Judge truly relax and lead the Yankees to victory until that championship pressure which the entire organization and bodies is finally released.

That pursuit of the ultimate prize is what defines every transaction, every rumor, and every high stakes that being made in the hot stove right now.